Palm Springs, CA

In a press release to the public, the City of Palm Springs collectively agreed in April to offer $4.3 million to residents with verified property losses related to Section 14 and request Staff to look at commencing several programmatic actions to address past inequities.

In addition, the City of Palm Springs recently commenced a Historical Context Study with well known Southern California consultant Architectural Resources Group (ARG) to document the facts surrounding the complex history of Section 14. A draft study is expected to be completed in September – and a final presentation to the City Council is expected to occur in November.

In response to this offer, the Palm Springs Section 14 Survivors made a counter offer of “$42 million in total value, inclusive of cash payments and programmatic initiatives. The initiatives include efforts to promote tourism and expand the economic base for Palm Springs.”

They wrote:

“The proposal outlines a potential agreement where the Survivors and Descendants would collaborate to support the economy of the city many of them continue to call home. The Survivors and Descendants would endeavor to raise $2.5M for the City over a five-year period, targeting tourism, celebrity events and large conferences hosted by organizations such as the NAACP and the National Urban League—groups that have already been vocal in their support of Section 14 advocacy and would be natural partners in such an effort. “

“The $42 million figure presented by the Survivors includes cash payments to those who can demonstrate direct impacts from the displacement as well programmatic initiatives, such as establishing a Section 14 Day of Remembrance, constructing a Section 14 Racial Healing Center and elevating the city’s profile as a destination for Black and Brown tourism.”

Now the ball is back in the city’s court.