It is essential for individuals and communities to have clean air, water, and soil, as well as to feel safe and secure in their daily lives. Los Angeles County, like much of the United States, has a long history of discriminatory public policy that has led to housing and land use patterns in which low-income communities and communities of color are  is proportionately burdened by pollution exposure, affordability challenges, and diminished access to economic opportunity, parks, and open space.

One of the most egregious practices was that of “redlining.” This government-supported practice exacerbated inequity by prioritizing home loans in desirable areas for White homeowners, driving away minority families and leaving them with fewer pathways to home ownership, reduced economic security, and the decreased ability to adapt to environmental shocks and stresses.