Bringing priorities in order : a holistic neighborhood revitalization strategy to reduce the unemployment rate of the Pico Union Area of the city of Los Angeles by creating alternatives to criminal activities

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2010

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Southern New Hampshire University

Abstract

The Bringing Priorities in Order (BPO) project is a holistic neighborhood revitalization strategy to reduce the unemployment rate and high crime incidence of the Pico Union Area of the City of Los Angeles by creating income producing strategies that will provide alternatives to income producing criminal activities. The problem this project will address is the high unemployment rate in the Pico Union Area which appears to correlate with the high crime rate since many of the youth and young adults in the area are unemployed or underemployed and therefore may turn to criminal activities to earn income to survive. The unemployment rate in Pico Union is 12.94%, more than twice than the Los Angeles County and California which is 6.2% and 6.4%, respectively. While, this rate is very similar to the unemployment rate at the City level, approximately 51% of the Pico Union population is not part of the labor force compared to 40% citywide. This group is therefore not counted in the unemployment rosters. The high incidence of unemployment is therefore higher once the uncounted population is included. The project's longer term outcome is a reduction of unemployment and crime by creating alternatives to illegal/illicit revenue generating activities. The longer term outcome will be accomplished through a two-prong strategy -- first is small business creation and growth and second is improving human capital. The first is to spur the creation and growth of small businesses to help them create entry level jobs for the local youth. The second strategy is to improve the human capital of the indigenous population so that they can improve their success at securing living wage jobs, professional level employment and/or entrepreneurship. Strategies include improving the delivery of K-12 education, higher education and workforce training to prepare a better workforce for living wage jobs and to increase the creation and growth of small businesses so that in turn, they can create jobs. (Author abstract)

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