Built in 1944 Jordan Downs began as temporary housing for World War II workers. Seven hundred units sprang up. A playground and gardens promised a bright future. It was a model of integrated housing. This vision however wouldn’t last.
Jordan Downs sits in Watts Los Angeles. It’s a large complex. One hundred and three buildings house families. The units range from one to five bedrooms. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles owns and manages it. Before the housing project existed the land was a truck farm. It supplied vegetables to nearby communities.
The post-war years saw a shift. Veterans moved out. Black families migrating west settled in Watts. Restrictive covenants pushed many into the area. By the mid-1960s Jordan Downs was almost entirely Black. The complex became a symbol of societal problems. Some blamed welfare dependency. Others pointed to racism limited opportunities and poverty.
The 1965 Watts riots hit Jordan Downs hard. Federal aid after the riots was minimal. The project fell into disrepair. By the mid-1980s the Crips gang had a strong presence there. A plan to sell Jordan Downs to a private developer failed. Residents and the city council opposed it. Potential buyers were wary of the security risks.
The 1990s brought demographic changes. Latin American families moved in. There was tension but largely peaceful. The Grape Street Crips played a role in truces before and after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. This led to a period of relative calm. Gang violence resurged in the 2000s. Increased police activity eventually reduced it.
Jordan Downs is now undergoing a massive transformation. The old buildings are being replaced. A new urban village is emerging. New apartments restaurants shops and parks are part of the plan. The complex has appeared in the movie Menace II Society. Notable residents include Florence Griffith-Joyner the track star 03 Greedo the rapper and Tyrese Gibson the actor. Jordan Downs has a long and complex history. Its story is one of change adaptation and hope.