Los Angeles experiences some of the widest wealth inequality in the United States. Years of systemic racism and underinvestment have left many L.A. neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty, unemployment and environmental hazards. Building a stronger future for L.A. requires us to reckon with this inequity, and give every neighborhood a seat at the table.

The Los Angeles Reforms for Equity and Public Acknowledgment of Institutional Racism (L.A. REPAIR) will fund L.A.’s first participatory budget pilot program. L.A. REPAIR will distribute roughly $8.5 million directly to nine L.A. City neighborhoods, called REPAIR Zones.

How those dollars are spent will be decided entirely by the community through a democratic process known as participatory budgeting. Community members of each REPAIR Zone will submit ideas that everyone in the neighborhood can vote on, empowering individuals to decide how public dollars are spent in their community.

They are currently accepting applications for the Advisory Committee in the following three REPAIR Zones:

Boyle Heights
Mission Hills – Panorama City – North Hills
Southeast LA (South LA, East of the 110 Fwy)

Each of these REPAIR Zones will be served by an Advisory Committee of 7-9 community members who work to implement the participatory budgeting process in their respective communities. Anyone over 16 years of age in these Zones is welcome to apply now.

Find out more: https://repair.lacity.org/