Will new housing developments pop up on Inglewood Unified owned property? That is one alternative Los Angeles Unified has explored to generate revenue. LA School Report is reporting that the nation’s second largest district is looking at options. Inglewood Unified (IUSD) state administrator Dr. Vincent Matthews is preparing to form an ad-hoc committee to take account of school assets, with the assumption that properties will be examined for alternative uses. Could affordable housing be an option?
Related: LAUSD looks at underused real estate to help offset future budget deficit
Gregory Perlman, of GHC Housing, gave two $10,000 campaign contributions to former IUSD advisory board member D’artagnan Scorza, for his successful 2015 campaign.
Perlman and Scorza have a long history.
Perlman’s All Ways Up Foundation has been awarding the Social Justice Learning Institute, of which Scorza founded, several hundred thousands of dollars towards his Black Male Youth Academy, for over the last decade.
Related: State of Tennessee blasts Patten Towers owner PK Management
Perlman also owns PK Management. The company buys dilapidated housing projects, refurbishes them and gives out scholarships to kids living in said housing. Perlman then flips the property for profit after draining the tax benefits attached to the properties. The state of Tennessee did not appreciate Perlman’s business savviness in this area.
Other cities have had issues with Perlman skirting local hiring policies.
Related: Smithtown dispute raises questions about ‘hire local’ policy
As the face of the Hollywood Park stadium initiative, Scorza is well aware that the affordable housing component was removed at the city’s request.
It is awesome that Perlman thinks highly of the programs that Scorza provides boys and men of color. It is also outstanding that Scorza wants to see more families afford to continue living in Inglewood.
Scorza also penned an op-ed in the LA Sentinel discussing “environmental priorities” in LA County. Scorza failed to mention he was paid to promote the largest development project, in LA County, that bypassed environmental scrutiny.
IUSD property, specifically the original site of Warren Lane elementary school, is filled with hazardous waste and caused IUSD teachers to become ill. Will this be the first property developers get their hands on?
Scorza promoted the project for $25,000 and a school board seat, then get an epiphany he cares about the environment after he helped create the conditions he disagrees with?
When asked why he supported the project, Scorza told 2UrbanGirls it was due to the community benefits like the four parks it will house.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts shared with the LA Sentinel in reference to the parks:
JTB: The parks will be deeded to the City over time. So that is true. There are three acres of those parks that have security implications for the private development itself.
So 23 of those acres will be deeded to the City and the developer will absolutely pay for the maintenance of those parks. The developer can recoup that costs if we make more than $25 million in taxes in a year from the totality of the development. And if we never make more than $25 million in a year, there will never be a reimbursement for any of the public services that the developer provides for us.
LAS: True or False. The City of Inglewood will receive four acres of land for its use and that land is already valued at $8 million?
JTB: True – its 4.5 acres and yes, its valued at $8 million.
**update**
Scorza has since left the Advisory Board of the Inglewood Unified School District and is now Executive Director of Racial Equity for Los Angeles County, whose office spearheaded efforts to return Bruce’s Beach to its heirs.
