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Is Stadium Development In Inglewood Helping Or Hurting The City?
Inglewood is already stadium central, but is that helping or hurting the community?
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Inglewood is becoming stadium-rich, with SoFi, the Forum and, coming soon, the Clippers' future Intuit Dome .
Today on KPCC's Airtalk, Inglewood Mayor James Butts said this is a blessing for the area's businesses. But others disagree, saying the new stadiums are contributing to gentrification. A caller named Kim from Inglewood is a member of the housing activist group Here to Stay.
"Well all the members of Here to Stay live and work in Inglewood … most are tenants, also some homeowners, and we're just seeing massive displacement of primarily the low income and working class community of Inglewood that's been there for decades," she said. "That includes homeowners that are being preyed upon by bad mortgage companies ... as well as people that are being displaced due to increasing rents."
Kim blamed the wave of development and said it mainly benefits the wealthy.
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Mayor Butts argued that Inglewood still remains a leader in providing affordable and fair housing, and that the development has actually benefitted Inglewood homeowners.
"The city of Inglewood has more affordable housing units per capita and in whole numbers than anywhere in the South Bay," he said. "Now let's talk about people being preyed upon by lenders. I've never heard anything so ridiculous. The reality is if you own a house in Inglewood, and have owned it for at least five years, your property value has increased in the area of 200 to 300 percent."
Butts also noted that Inglewood's 3% rent increase cap is lower than the state cap of 5%.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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