Contents:
- Introduction
- Aliso Village
- Avalon Gardens
- Carmelitos
- Dana Strand Village
- Estrada Courts
- Hacienda Village
- Harbor Hills
- Imperial Courts
- Jordan Downs
- Mar Vista Gardens
- Nickerson Gardens
- Normont Terrace
- Nueva Maravilla
- Pico Gardens
- Pueblo del Rio
- Ramona Gardens
- Rancho San Pedro
- Rose Hill Courts
- San Fernando Gardens
- William Mead Homes
Introduction
Los Angeles, California has some of the most notorious public housing projects in the nation. From Jordan Downs to the Nickerson Gardens, this article ranks the 20 worst Los Angeles public housing projects of all time. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) was established in 1938 and is now one of the largest public housing authorities in America.
KCET explains that in the 1940s, World War II, the Second Great Migration occurred and tens of thousands of blacks left segregated Southern states in search for better opportunities in cities like Los Angeles. There was a huge increase in manufacturing during the war, leading to an increased number of employment opportunities in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In 1940, the black population in Los Angeles was 63,700 and by 1970, the black population had increased to 763,000. Afro LA explains that the Second Great Migration ultimately brought 4.3 million Black Americans from the South to the Midwest, North and West Coast between 1940 to 1970.
The Great Depression and World War II created a housing crisis so the city of Los Angeles used funding from the 1937 Housing Act to build ten public housing projects. In 1949, more funding was granted for the construction of additional housing projects. By the 1970s, the public housing projects in Los Angeles had become nearly 100% black and the decline of industrial jobs led to an increased number of poor families living in public housing projects.
Public housing projects in Los Angeles, California became self-contained ghettos that were overcrowded and gang-infested. Crime and drugs were concentrated in the projects and Los Angeles quickly became the gang capital of America.
Without further ado, here are the 20 worst Los Angeles public housing project of all-time.
1. Hacienda Village
| Location | Watts, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 184 |
| Groundbreaking | 1942 |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
Hacienda Village, now known as Gonzaque Village, was originally constructed in 1942 in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The project contained 182 units, throughout 71, one-story buildings.
According to the LA Times, in 1993, a study was conducted that focused on public housing projects in Los Angeles and Hacienda Village was found to have the most crime of the group.
2. Avalon Gardens
| Location | Green Meadows, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 164 |
| Groundbreaking | 1941 |
| Completed | 1941 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
Avalon Gardens is located in the Green Meadows neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The project was completed in 1941 and contains 164 units.
United Gangs explains that the Avalon Gangster Crips were established in the early 1970s by Jimel Barnes, who lived in the Avalon Gardens housing projects.
3. Nickerson Gardens
| Location | Watts, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 1,066 |
| Groundbreaking | 1955 |
| Completed | 1955 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | Jazz Joy, singer Jay Rock, rapper Anthony Tiffith, producer, founder of TDE Kerry James Marshall, artist |
The Nickerson Gardens projects were completed in 1955, and located in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The complex contains 1,066 units, throughout 156 buildings.
The Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods is a predominantly black gang based out of the Nickerson Gardens housing project.
4. Jordan Downs
| Location | Watts, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 700 |
| Groundbreaking | 1950 |
| Completed | 1955 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | Tyrese Gibson, singer/actor Florence Griffith-Joyner, Olympic sprinter Isabell Masters, presidential candidate |
Jordan Downs is located in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California. The complex was completed in 1955 and contains 700 units.
Jordan Downs is the home of the Grape Street Watts Crips, a predominantly black gang that has had a longtime rivalry with the Bounty Hunter Bloods. Street Gangs explains that the gang originally included Mexican and blacks in the 1970s and was called the Watts Varrio Grape, also known as WVG.
5. Imperial Courts
| Location | Watts, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 498 |
| Groundbreaking | 1944 |
| Completed | 1944 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The Imperial Courts housing project is located in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California and was constructed in 1944. The project contains 498 units.
Imperial Courts is the home of the PJ Watts Crips, a predominantly black gang that was founded in the 1970s. Black Past explains that the PJ Watts Crips were one of four gangs significantly involved in the 1992 Watts truce. The other gangs involved include the Bounty Hunter Bloods of Nickerson Gardens, the Grape Street Watts Crips of Jordan Downs and the Hacienda Village Bloods of the Hacienda Village housing projects.
6. Pico Gardens
| Location | Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 296 |
| Groundbreaking | 1940 |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Demolished | 1998 |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The Pico Gardens housing project is located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles and was completed in 1942. The project contains 296 units. SAH Archipedia explains that the Pico Gardens housing project is located to the south of Aliso Village and the two projects were commonly referred to as the Pico-Aliso community.
7. Aliso Village
| Location | Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 800 |
| Groundbreaking | 1934 |
| Completed | 1943 |
| Demolished | 1998; replaced by Pueblo del Sol |
| Notable Residents | Sam Balter, Olympic basketball player Felipe Esparza, comedian/actor Mike Garrett, NFL player, won 1965 Heisman Trophy Paul Gonzales, Olympic boxer Daniel Ramos, graffiti tagger, known for “CHAKA” Sylvester, disco singer |
The Aliso Village public housing project is located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. The complex was completed in 1943 and originally contained 800 units.
The Living New Deal explains that Aliso Village was initially successful, providing affordable housing but later the project was allowed to deteriorate and became occupied by the city’s poorest individuals.
8. Ramona Gardens
| Location | Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 610 |
| Groundbreaking | 1939 |
| Completed | 1941 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
Ramona Gardens is located in Boyle Heights and was completed in 1941. The complex contains 610 units.
The Big Hazard gang, also known as Hazard Grande, dominated the Ramona Gardens housing project. In Boyle Heights Beat explains that in 2017, Victor “Grizzly” Barrios, a member of Big Hazard, was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison after pleading guilty drug trafficking and conspiracy charges. Along with fellow gang members, Barrios terrorized the residents of the Ramona Gardens.
9. Estrada Courts
| Location | Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 214 |
| Groundbreaking | 1942 |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | will.i.am, musician |
The Estrada Courts housing project is located in Boyle Heights and was completed in 1942. The complex originally contained 214 units in 31 buildings. Calisphere explains that the project cost $942,031 and was built for an estimated population of 750.
10. Mar Vista Gardens
| Location | Del Rey, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 601 |
| Groundbreaking | 1954 |
| Completed | 1954 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | Art Alexakis, lead singer of Everclear band Yolanda del Rio, actress/singer Todd Bridges, actor |
The Mar Vista Gardens housing project is located in Del Rey and was completed in 1954. The complex originally contained 601 units through 62 buildings.
Plans to construct Mar Vista Gardens stalled in the 1950s, after officials found out that a strip of land running through the project was County territory. In 1952, the City of Los Angeles had to annex the strip and Mar Vista Gardens proceeded as a “slum clearance” measure.
11. Pueblo del Rio
| Location | Central-Alameda, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 400 |
| Groundbreaking | 1941 |
| Completed | 1941 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The Pueblo del Rio housing project is located in the Central-Alameda neighborhood of Los Angeles, California and was constructed in 1941. The complex contained 400 units.
Like many of the public housing projects in Los Angeles, Pueblo del Rio was originally built to house the growing population of defense industry workers during World War II.
12. San Fernando Gardens
| Location | San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 448 |
| Groundbreaking | 1954 |
| Completed | 1955 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The San Fernando Gardens projects are located in the San Fernando Valley district of Los Angeles, California and were completed in 1955. The project was originally constructed to house laborers at the Lockheed aerospace manufacturing facilities, located in Burbank.
13. Rose Hill Courts
| Location | El Sereno, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 100 |
| Groundbreaking | 1940 |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The Rose Hill Courts projects was located in El Sereno and was completed in 1942. The complex originally contained 100 units.
The Eastsider explains that in June of 1942, Rose Hill Courts became available to defense works and after the war, the complex became public housing.
14. Dana Strand Village
| Location | Wilmington, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 384 |
| Groundbreaking | 1942 |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Demolished | 2003 |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
Dana Strand Village is located in Wilmington, Los Angeles and was completed in 1942. The complex originally contained 384 units.
The project was originally built to house temporary shipyard workers during World War II but gangs took over and Dana Strand became a drug-infested. In 2003, the project was demolished and replaced by the Camino del Mar and Vista del Mar developments which opened in 2018.
15. Normont Terrace
| Location | Harbor City, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 400 |
| Groundbreaking | 1942 |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Demolished | 1997 |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The Normont Terrace housing project was located in Harbor City, Los Angeles and was completed in 1942. The complex originally contained 400 units.
Normont Terrace became the headquarters of the Harbor City Boys, also known as the Harbor City Rifas, and the Harbor City Crips.
16. Rancho San Pedro
| Location | San Pedro, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 285 |
| Groundbreaking | 1941 |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The Rancho San Pedro housing project is located in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles and was constructed in 1942. The complex contains 285 units.
In 2021, Rancho San Pedro gang leader, Robert “Stretch” Messersmith, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. Messersmith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
17. William Mead Homes
| Location | Chinatown, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 449 |
| Groundbreaking | 1941 |
| Completed | 1942 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The William Mead Homes are located in the Chinatown district of Los Angeles, California. Construction of the project was completed in 1942 and it contains 449 units.
William Mead was nicknamed the “dog town projects” because of its proximity to the Ann Street animal shelter, whose dogs could be heard barking throughout the community.
18. Carmelitos
| Location | Long Beach, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 607 |
| Groundbreaking | 1938 |
| Completed | 1940 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The Carmelitos housing project is located in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, and was constructed in 1940. The complex contains 607 units, throughout 85 buildings. Carmelitos is the oldest and largest public housing project in Los Angeles County.
Calisphere explains that Carmelitos was the County Housing Authority’s first low-rent housing project. By the 1990s, violence and gang activity increased at the project. The LA Times explains that at one point, the U.S. Postal Service suspended mail delivery after a postal carrier was threatened.
19. Harbor Hills
| Location | Lomita, Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 300 |
| Groundbreaking | 1939 |
| Completed | 1941 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | Paul “Lefty” Pettit |
The Harbor Hills housing project is located in the Lomita neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Constructed of the complex started in 1939 was completed in 1941. The project contains 300 units.
The Los Angeles Conservancy explains that the Harbor Hills housing project is on a hilly site in Lomita near the Palos Verdes peninsula.
20. Nueva Maravilla
| Location | East Los Angeles, California |
| Units | 504 |
| Groundbreaking | 1942 |
| Completed | 1943 |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Notable Residents | N/A |
The Nueva Maravilla housing project is located in East Los Angeles, California and was completed in 1943. The complex originally contained 504 units of family and senior housing. When originally constructed, the project was named Maravilla which means, a marvel. In 1972, the complex was renovated and came to be known as Nueva Maravilla, which means new marvel, or new beginning.
There are three gangs based in Nueva Maravilla projects: the Rascals, also known as RS13, the High Times Stoners, also known as HTS and the Maravilla Projects, also known as MVP. According to Police Magazine, there are more than 20 East Los Angeles Maravilla gangs, that originated from the original Maravilla Projects Gang.