A Statement on Racial Injustice
Kentwood Home Guardians, would like to acknowledge the Tongva people living today and in the past who were the original caretakers of the land where our homes reside. We recognize that their tribal lands were stolen through settler colonialism and that that theft contributed to our ability to own this land today.
We also acknowledge that KHG was created in 1943 to enforce our Declarations of Protective Restrictions known as DPRs to maintain a standard of aesthetic and uniformity to our neighborhood, which still benefits us and our home property values today. However, those DPRs also mandated that homes were only to be sold to white buyers as required by the Federal Housing Authority of the United States government, which would not insure mortgages unless such racial covenants were in place. Although these heinous restrictions were outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948, we recognize the long term, devastating impact this housing segregation has had on families of color in Los Angeles and across the country for many generations. In light of this history, we as a homeowners association board of directors will do whatever we can to ensure that Kentwood is a neighborhood welcoming and inclusive of all people.
On May 30, 2000, the Kentwood Home Guardians submitted requests that were recorded/filed in the official records of the Recorder’s Office of Los Angeles County for each of the DPRs of the 23 tracts to remove the racially restrictive language and to include a cover letter in red print stating the following: “If this document contains any restriction based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, marital status, diasbility, national origin, or ancestry, that restriction violates state and federal fair housing laws and is void. Any person holding an interest in this property may request that the county recorder remove the restrictive covenant language pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 12956.1 of the Government Code.”
If you have suggestions of how to further address these racial injustices, please complete this Google form: https://forms.gle/c3dXTuaFJAW6VrFv5.