Congressman Howard Berman :: Representing the 28th District of California

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Congressman Berman speaks at the groundbreaking for the 405 freeway northbound carpool lane as Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa and California Governor Schwarzenegger look on. The groundbreaking is the culmination of years of work by Rep. Berman, who obtained significant federal funding for this project, which is critical to relieving congestion on the 405.

How can I help?

If you are a constituent of the 28th Congressional District of California, our office can assist you with matters involving Federal agencies. We also provide for visitors to Washington, DC, and can arrange to have a flag flown for you over the U.S. Capitol building.

GovBenefits.gov

If you are in need of government assistance, but are unsure where to go for information on how to apply, Govbenefits.gov may be the answer. It reduces the amount of research needed to take advantage of government benefits programs by providing information only on those programs most likely to benefit each individual.

Constituents complete a confidential questionnaire and Govebenefits.gov matches their request with the appropriate benefit programs, and provides application information. It contains a wide variety of information on such topics as Medicaid/Medicare, small business loans, scholarships, and disaster relief, to name a few.

28th District Facts & Links

California's 28th Congressional District spreads from the northern San Fernando Valley, where it takes in the small city of San Fernando and includes the communities of Pacoima, Arleta, Panorama City, Van Nuys, and North Hollywood.

The southernmost border follows in part the famed Mulholland Drive, taking in Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and the Hollywood Hills at the east end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley. Berman represented much of this area for a decade in the California Assembly in the '70s and in Congress in the '80s.

Once composed of predominately white, suburban Los Angeles communities, the district has undergone a dramatic shift in ethnic makeup with an influx of increasing numbers of Hispanic residents. Hispanics are, in fact, the predominant ethnic group of the 28th district with a population comprising 55.65%.

The district reliably supports Democratic presidential candidates. In 2000, Gore captured the 28th with 72% of the vote.

A thriving business district lies along Ventura Boulevard, which runs through the southern stretch of the district with trendy restaurants and a skyline of office towers housing corporate headquarters. It passes by the Sherman Oaks Galleria, home of the Valley Girl, a cultural icon popularized by the song and 1983 movie, and continues on to Studio City, named by Mack Sennet, the man behind the wacky Keystone Cops. A number of popular TV shows have been filmed at the Studio Center, including "Hill Street Blues," "Roseanne" and "Seinfeld."

The collapse of the defense industry and the 1994 Northridge earthquake created great challenges for this area. It has seen remarkable economic recovery, however, fueled by advances in technology, a thriving entertainment industry and the growth of service industries increasingly driven by new immigrants.

Major Industries

Service, entertainment, health care, technology-based manufacturing.

Cities

Los Angeles; San Fernando

Unusual Features

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which presents the annual Emmy Awards, based in North Hollywood; Actors Robert Redford, Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood attended Van Nuys High School; Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ritchie Valens ("La Bamba") is a native of Pacoima; the final scene in "Casablanca" was shot at Van Nuys Airport.