In 2018, RSG completed the first economic development strategy for this dense and built out community in the Gateway region of Los Angeles County. Known as an industrial community with nearly 9 million square feet of manufacturing and distribution uses stemming from its roots in automotive plants, South Gate is undergoing a significant transformation as a lower –middle-income Latino community with the emergence of public light rail, mixed use development, and public investment in open space and infrastructure. The Economic Development Strategic Plan provides a focus to the small-staffed organization to partner with regional and federal agencies on small business support, affordable workforce housing for all sectors of the economy, and leveraging new planning and infrastructure without compromising community character. As a follow-up to the streamlined strategic plan, RSG also supported a technical advisory panel to bring more small business assistance to the City and initiated an inclusionary housing program in order to mitigate the risks of gentrification.
