Project partners are forging deeper into the community to engage faith-based organizations, area businesses, as well as other providers of health services in order to gather and map out resource information and enrollment criteria.  The project has secured grant funding through the South Robertson Neighborhood Council and Cedars-Sinai and has plans to seek long-term, on-going funding.  

The Community 

The general boundaries of the Pico-Robertson Health Neighborhood include the 90034 and 90035 zip code areas, inclusive of the Pico-Robertson district, a total population of about 100,000 people.  It is among the densest population within LA County, with up to 19,000 people per square mile in certain parts. 

The median age for residents is about 34 years.  The Average Gross Income (AGI) in 90034 is about 59K and in nearby 90035, about 91K in comparison to the average state AGI of 73K.  The cost-of-living index of the area is 138.4, extremely high, in comparison to the US average of 100. 

Per city-wide data 2013, within the population, 46% identify as white; 9% as black; 14% as Asian; 4% as multi-racial and 22% as Hispanic or Latino.  Fifteen-percent live below the poverty level and 6% live 50% below poverty level.  Eighteen-percent were born in Mexico; 11% in Iran; 7% in India; 6% in Israel; 5% in the Philippines; 4% in China, El Salvador and 3% in Japan. The unemployment rate is 9%. 

The size of the targeted community is small enough that our mutual engagement and resources can demonstrate an impact on the population.  Current partners are established in the community and already delivering services within its boundaries.  The majority of WFHC’s patient load resides in the 90034 zip code area and WFHC provides mobile services to the local public high school on a regular basis. The Alcott Center, JFS and NESS Counseling are all located within under a mile radius, and each provides services at low or no cost to those unable to afford care.  PATH and DMH deliver mobile outreach services targeting the entire area. 

The Pico-Robertson district is a diverse area filled with many distinct cultural groups.  There are immigrants with a wide range of backgrounds and histories, from those who arrived after World War II, including Holocaust survivors; refugees who fled the revolution in Iran; those who came from other Middle Eastern and North African countries, as well as from Mexico and Central American countries.  Immigration and the need to adapt to a new country can increase the stress on multiple generations within these families. 

The district has the full range of socio-economic levels from very wealthy to very poor.  In these changing economic times this includes many whose financial circumstances may put them suddenly at risk of losing housing. Thus far, community meetings and surveys have revealed the need for more education and understanding among laypeople of mental illness, homelessness, substance use as well as the need to bridge cultural barriers between groups, through education and communication. 

For additional information on the Pico-Robertson Health Neighborhood Project, please contact:   

Nick Maiorino at:  nmaiorino@alcottcenter.org