Palm Springs Unanimously Approves $5.91M Section 14 Settlement

PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Palm Springs City Council approved a $5.91 million cash settlement to address historical injustices and mass evictions suffered by former Section 14 residents of color and their descendants on Thursday.

The council voted unanimously at its meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14.

"The City Council is deeply gratified that the former residents of Section 14 have agreed to accept what we believe is a fair and just settlement offer,” said Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein.

On Wednesday, the council announced that the former residents of Section 14 accepted the city's final offer of $5.9 million. The settlement also includes housing accessibility and economic initiatives to help marginalized communities, the city said in a release.

In April, the council approved a settlement package to address the harm caused by mass evictions of the neighborhood decades ago. Originally, the cash settlement was proposed at $4.3 million but it was upped to $5.9 million last week, the city said. The increase reflects updated information that an estimated 197 homes were involved in the original evictions — up from the 145 homes previously identified.

Here's what the resolution includes, according to the city:

$5.91 Million Cash Settlement: Compensation based on current valuations of personal property losses, to be distributed to verified former residents of Section 14 and descendants.

$20 Million in Housing Programs: Over ten years, from funds already set aside for housing opportunities, these programs aim to provide affordable homeownership for first-time buyers and establish a Community Land Trust for low-income residents, with priority access for the former residents of Section 14 and their descendants.

$1 Million for Small Business Support: A partnership with the Caravanserai Project will provide grants and low-interest loans to promote economic empowerment for disadvantaged groups, with dedicated outreach to the former residents of Section 14 and their descendants.

Cultural Initiatives to Honor Section 14’s Legacy: Plans for a Section 14 memorial monument and naming rights for future public parks when they come online.

"The City Council has always respected the historical significance of Section 14 and with this resolution of the claim which includes $20 million in housing programs and $1 million in business support we are taking bold and important action that will create lasting benefits for our entire community while providing programs that prioritize support for the former residents of Section 14," Mayor Berstein said.

From approximately 1954 to 1966, the city of Palm Springs forcibly evicted Black and Latino families from their downtown neighborhood known as Section 14. An estimated 200 homes were burned or destroyed as part of a demolition process that left hundreds of people displaced.

The mass eviction of the one-square-mile community for people of color has been called a "city-engineered holocaust." What's more, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians were the owners of the land.

Six decades after that injustice, the city of Palm Springs formally apologized for the clearout and vowed to develop reparations and in 2021. The city also removed a statue of Frank Bogert from City Hall — the city's mayor at the time of the mass evictions.

The city council's meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber at Palm Springs City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. The public is invited to attend and comment is encouraged. The meeting will also be available to watch live online at palmspringsca.gov, on YouTube or on Palm Springs Community Television Channel 17.

Read more about the study and other information about Section 14 here.