Lincoln Park is an important public resource that receives insufficient maintenance and supervision. 

In recent years, the status of Lincoln park has declined due to regular neglect and criminogenic risk. 

To better serve the Lincoln Heights community, I propose that the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks institute a park maintenance training and residency complex, to be run jointly with The Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

The program would hybridize park-maintenance education, transitional work, and supportive housing, to service the open space of Lincoln park and support local populations transitioning from institutionalized environments. The program is modeled after California Conservation (Fire) Camps that offer firefighting occupation to nonviolent incarcerated people; these individuals become eligible to have their records expunged so that they may seek jobs as firefighters in the community. The program is also modeled after In-Park-Host programs that employ individuals to live within campsites and parks to serve a concierge function. 

Implemented within community parks in San Diego and Orange, these programs have shown success in fostering more clean, green, safe, and accessible park spaces. 

Occupation within Lincoln park is productive for several reasons; positive community-exposure, supportive-service adjacency, and professional-skill acquisition. 

Users would contribute to projects which elevate their community. Users would be situated adjacent to a vocational school, navigational center, DMV and other social support services. Users would acquire experience and certifications (landscape technician, CPR) for a professional career in park-maintenance work.