Palm Springs, California - The California resort city of Palm Springs has reached a reparations agreement for Black and Latino residents forced out of their homes in the 1960s.

The Palm Springs City Council on Thursday voted unanimously in favor of the agreement – one day after releasing the tentative details of the plan.

The settlement includes $5.91 million for direct compensation to verified former Section 14 residents and their descendants. The claimants' attorney will be responsible for disbursing the funds.

On top of the legal settlement, the city supports:

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• $20 million over 10 years for housing programs, with priority access for former Section 14 residents and their descendants
• $1 million over five years to support small businesses
• Cultural initiatives to honor Section 14's legacy, including a Day of Remembrance and the construction of a memorial monument
  

Section 14 was once a thriving, predominantly Black and Latino working-class neighborhood just east of downtown Palm Springs – until the city decided to displace the residents in order to construct a commercial development. Residents said they received little to no notice before city fire fighters and private companies moved in to bulldoze and burn down their homes, businesses, and livelihoods.

Today, a convention center, hotels, and a casino stand in the place of the once-vibrant community.

The Section 14 Survivors group reports that many continue to experience trauma and PTSD from the racist attack. Renowned economist Dr. Julianne Malveaux and the survivors' legal representative Areva Martin estimated the economic damages alone to total between $400 million and $2 billion.

"After years of raising awareness of the trauma we endured, this agreement is a pivotal moment in Palm Springs' history and for those of us who lived in Section 14," Pearl Devers, president of the Section 14 Survivors group, said in a statement.

"While no amount of money can fully restore what we lost, this agreement helps pave the way for us all to finally move forward."