On June 24 and 26, the West Side Community Organization (WSCO) hosted two informational sessions to help West Side families prepare for the Inheritance Fund application process.

Julia Diaz, WSCO staff member and the point person for descendancy verification, guided attendees through the application process. She explained who is eligible for the fund, the different levels of funding available, how WSCO verifies your family's connection to the West Side Flats, and shared tips for preparing your application this summer.

The sessions also included a Q&A portion where city staff helped answer participants’ questions about the fund and the application process.

If you missed the sessions, you can watch a recording of the June 26 presentation here:

For more information on the Inheritance Fund and to access all the printed materials referenced in the presentation, visit wsco.org/inheritancefund.

Continuing the Work: Flats to the Future

Community members were also invited to get involved in WSCO's broader Flats to the Future work—building on the recommendations from the 2024 Research in Action report. This ongoing effort is centered around honoring the legacy of the West Side Flats and advancing economic repair for displaced families.

Opportunities to engage include:

• Recording and sharing stories of the Flats for future generations

• Joining conversations around economic repair for renters who were displaced from the Flats

• Helping to design a memorial plaza honoring the Flats community

• Supporting efforts to hold the Port Authority accountable for economic repair

If you’re interested in getting involved with any of these initiatives, please reach out to Julia Diaz at [email protected].

Together, we can continue to uplift the history and future of the West Side Flats community.