Palm Springs finalizes $5.9M settlement for Section 14 survivors and descendants
Jesus Reyes
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The city of Palm Springs has finalized the $5.9 million payment settlement to the survivors and descendants of Section 14, officials told News Channel 3 Tuesday.
According to the city, the Section 14 Settlement Agreement was signed by the Section 14 claimants on September 4 and by the City on September 5. The City has received nearly 1,500 signed release/waivers.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, as approved by the City Council unanimously in November (According to Palm Springs:
The City Council approved $5.9 million in direct financial compensation for eligible survivors and descendants. The payment was contingent upon receipt of at least 1,200 signed legal waivers. As of October 6, nearly 1,500 release/waivers have been received by the City.
The City Council voted to authorize the named claimant representing survivors and descendants and their attorneys the disbursement of individual payments once the required waivers were received. As with all settlements of claims or litigation, the City does not get involved in how the claimants and their attorneys share in the proceeds.
The settlement also includes $20 million in affordable housing programs to be implemented over the next decade, prioritizing access for former Section 14 families, along with $1 million in small-business support to strengthen economic opportunity in Palm Springs.
The City remains committed to establishing a public memorial and dedicating a future park to honor the families of Section 14.
In addition, the agreement provides that the City will offer support for a potential Section 14 Cultural and Racial Healing Center, which may include letters of support. The City is not obligated to fund any such center but remains committed to helping community-led efforts succeed.
“The City approached this settlement with care, transparency, and respect for everyone involved, said City Manager Scott Stiles. “Our goal from the beginning has been to resolve these longstanding claims in a way that is fair, equitable and with a focus on healing and progress.”
Not everyone is happy with the settlement. A petition signed by 37 people, including three survivors, who don’t think the settlement goes far enough, and it lists a number of demands.
Section 14 Attorney ResponseDownload
Section 14 is a one-square-mile tract previously held by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, adjacent to downtown Palm Springs. This area used to home hundreds of people, mostly minority families, until the 1950s and 1960s when they were evicted.
Section 14 became a prominent point of discussion of the Palm Springs City Council in June of 2020, when hundreds of people signed a petition to remove the statue of former mayor Frank Bogert in front of Palm Springs City Hall.
In September of 2021, the City Council voted to move forward with an apology for the city government’s role in the destruction of Section 14 more than 50 years ago. At that same meeting, city staff agreed to bring back budget proposals for reparations to those affected within the year. However, survivors of Section 14 felt as though conversations surrounding reparations began to come to a halt
As a result, the city of Palm Springs began facing legal action in November of 2022. The group of survivors, with the advice of economist Dr. Julianna Malveaux and lead attorney Areva Martin, began seeking direct payments for the racially motivated harm caused by the evictions, with damages ranging from $400 million to $2 billion.
In a 3-2 vote in April of 2023, the City Council voted not to approve a consultant agreement to develop reparations program services like the survivors had long urged for.
Following a closed City Council meeting in January of 2024 in which Section 14 survivors rallied to discuss movement on the reparation plans, the Council issued a statement agreeing to several actions involving the issue in April 2024.
News Channel 3 has been covering the issue for several years. You can watch some of our reports below: