Central Los Angeles : Neighborhood Betterment Program Moves to New Office

After years of conducting business from a crowded room, the Eastside Neighborhood Preservation Program finally has an office.

The new space, which officially opened Friday, will allow for more staff and facilities to serve the mostly Latino and Asian community in El Sereno.

“This office has broken many barriers and has convinced people that they’re here to help,” said Councilman Richard Alatorre, who spoke at the opening. “Our communities deteriorate very rapidly, and this is the way to avoid that.”

The preservation program provides loans for single or multifamily dwellings that have been damaged by the earthquake or need rehabilitation. Although most clients are owners of single-family dwellings, the program is shifting its orientation toward a neighborhood-based approach that seeks to recover whole blocks of housing.