Inner-City Revitalization Eyed.

Hoping to revitalize a community plagued by blight and crime, a coalition of Latino organizations formed a community economic development corporation for the Pico-Union/West-lake area.

The corporation -- created by groups that include El Rescate, a nonprofit legal aid firm, and Casa de La Cultura of El Salvador, a nonprofit cultural center -- will work to create low-income housing projects, education and health programs, and undertake efforts to bolster the business climate in the area.

It will be funded by private donations and government grants and will operate like The East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU), an influential nonprofit community development corporation that has built thousands of low-income housing units and started a lending institution.