Since the summer of 2014, ERASE Racism has been working closely with the residents of North Park to help strengthen their community organizing efforts and help them voice their community concerns through capacity building and the development of self-advocacy tools.

North Park, a historic African American community in Long Beach located on the coast of Reynolds Channel, has for decades carried a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards and has suffered from a long list of economic and health inequities. Despite being located on a coast, North Park has not been provided the same protection from flooding that the rest of the island enjoys and, as a result, has been forced to endure flooding on a regular basis because of a lack of bulk heading and subpar drainage infrastructure. Therefore, it was no surprise that North Park was one of the hardest hit communities during Hurricane Sandy.

ERASE Racism conducted a study to help assess damage sustained from Superstorm Sandy in Channel Park Homes, the remediation efforts within those public housing units, and the correlation between remediation (or lack thereof) or other place-based factors and adverse health outcomes.

Data analysis of the survey results show that despite the directives outlined in the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery Amendment 8 requiring mold remediation and replacement of floors, walls, and appliances, these remediation efforts had not actually occurred in a majority of apartments.

ERASE Racism found the following:

• 92% of participants reported that the floor tiles in their home were not replaced;
• 82% of participants reported that their kitchen cabinets were not replaced; and
• 79% of participants reported that their appliances (refrigerator or stove) were not replaced.

In conversations with members of households throughout Channel Park Homes, ERASE Racism staff found that families were forced to use kitchen cabinets and appliances that once stood in contaminated flood waters. Residents feared that mold may be growing behind the walls, under the floors, and behind the kitchen cabinets, and were worried about the well-being and health of their families.

In addition, demographic data from the survey show that over 83% of the households in Channel Park Homes are Black, 12% are Hispanic, and 5% are multi-racial. The demographic make-up of this community is drastically different from Long Beach as a whole, and it can be concluded from ERASE Racism's data that this heavily segregated minority community has not only endured a greater burden of potential environmental health hazards, but has been denied basic flood protections and proper Superstorm Sandy remediation.

Click here to download the report.
Click here to read testimonials from Channel Park Homes residents.

Infographic: North Park Left Out & Denied