Community

 

The Community Development Department’s two divisions include Redevelopment and Economic Development. Each of these divisions touch the lives of thousands of Inglewood residents and hundreds of its businesses through a series of projects and programs geared to the on-going improvement of the physical and fiscal conditions within the community. A brief description of each division and its functions is provided below:

Redevelopment Division
The Redevelopment Division provides professional redevelopment services, residential assistance, and administers the City’s subsidized housing program. The division has as a primary focus the removal of blight for designated redevelopment areas and the conversion of blight-cleared areas into commercial, industrial and residential developments that help revitalize the community, create employment opportunities, and create an environment that attracts private investment and reinvestment in the community. Also, the division implements the residential recycling component of the City’s Noise Mitigation Program by acquiring property impacts by aircraft noise from LAX operations and converting the acquired sites to noise-compatible uses such as industrial and commercial developments.

Economic Development Division
The Economic Development Division focuses on business attraction and retention programs. The division has several loan programs geared to providing financial assistance and options to the business community to assist them with their expansion needs. These same loan programs are also available to businesses seeking to make Inglewood their home. In addition to the financial assistance, the division works closely with the Chamber of Commerce which serves as the primary business association of Inglewood’s business community.

The Community Development Department is central to the success of Inglewood. You can learn more about the department and its divisions by calling one of the following phone numbers:

Economic Development: 310/412-8800
Redevelopment: 310/412-5290
Residential Sound Insulation: 310/412-5289
Housing: 310/412-5221
Community Development Block Grant: 310/412-8800

Housing and Grant Department
The Housing Division is responsible for administering the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program which provides financial assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to economically disadvantaged individuals and families to make decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing opportunities available to this target group. The division has a baseline allocation of 1,002 vouchers; however, it provides housing assistance to families and individuals from other Housing Authorities whose tenants opt to transfer their housing assistance to Inglewood through the program’s portability feature.

Community Development Block Grant
The Community Development Block Grant Division facilitates the use of federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide an array of services and programs to help improve public facilities, rehabilitate needed affordable housing, provides social services through a variety of non-profit organizations and assist with the property maintenance of the City through funding for Property Maintenance activities that benefit low-income neighborhoods and individuals.

Residential Sound Insulation Department
The Residential Sound Insulation Program is a part of the City’s two-pronged approach to mitigating the noise impacts on affected residential communities stemming from their location underneath the flight path to LAX. This program insulates homes to reduce the interior noise levels to those determined acceptable for habitation within the noise-impacted areas. Hundreds of Inglewood residents have been assisted by this program with hundreds more to be assisted as the City strives to improve the quality of life for its residents.

Planning and Building Services
Mission Statement/General Objectives
The Planning and Building Services Department supports community beautification and economic development by providing regulatory assistance for the use and development of land within the City of Inglewood. The department provides professional and technical services to members of the public, elected officials, appointed boards and commissions, and City staff in an effort to guide the orderly community development, conservation and preservation of the City of Inglewood. The department implements and enforces federal, state and local regulations, namely Planning and Building Codes, that are designed to protect the public health, safety and welfare. The services provided by the department are guided by land use, property development and building construction processes, which are intended to ensure that the built environment and land use considerations within the city are safe, attractive and foster an enhanced quality of life for all sectors of the Inglewood community.

Planning Division – 310/412-5230
The Planning Division, which includes current planning, zoning and advanced planning, provides for comprehensive review of Zoning Code compliance, environmental analysis, and aesthetic review of all development projects proposed within the City. The advance planning function provides broad, long-term planning for the future through the development of innovative strategies, for enhanced land use and community building throughout the City.

Building Division – 310/412-5294
The Building and Safety Division is responsible for the review and approval of the structural aspect of all building plans for projects proposed within the City. This division also performs pre-sale inspections and plan review for fire safety. The division inspects all construction projects permitted through the City to ensure the highest quality of development possible.