Section 14 Attorney Calls $5.9 Million Payment a Major Milestone

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The attorney for the Section 14 Survivors group is speaking out on the city’s payment earlier this week of its $5.91 million settlement.

The payment comes after the city council approved a settlement last November in an historic vote.

Section 14 is an area of tribal land next to downtown Palm Springs.

The city reached the settlement for its role in removing mostly minority residents from the property in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Attorney Areva Martin says this week’s payment is a big milestone.

She also says the group isn’t ready to divulge how the settlement will be distributed.

“At this point, we’re really just focusing on making sure that all of the processes that were put in place over the last six or seven months have been adhered to, and then in the next week or so, we’ll be ready to start.” Martin says.

Martin does say that checks will begin to be sent to qualified residents who lived on Section 14 in the next couple of weeks.

The Section 14 Survivors and Descendants group is planning a summit on November 15, at the Church of St. Paul in the Desert.

Martin says it will include a one-year celebration of the city council’s vote to approve the settlement on November 14, 2024.