Records from the early to mid-20th century show that the Janss Investment Company, founded by Dr. Peter Janss and later managed by his sons Edwin and Harold, played a significant role in shaping residential development across Los Angeles and surrounding areas. The firm is widely credited with creating Westwood Village, donating land for the University of California, Los Angeles, and overseeing major suburban expansions.

Archival property deeds and sales documents reveal that many Janss developments were bound by racially restrictive covenants. These clauses prohibited the sale or rental of homes to nonwhite residents, with explicit exclusions for African Americans, Asians, Latinos, and in some cases, individuals of certain religious backgrounds. The language left little room for ambiguity and was legally enforceable at the time.

The pattern extended beyond Westwood. Rancho Park, Thousand Oaks, and portions of what is now Century City were developed under similar restrictions. These neighborhoods were marketed with promises that they would remain exclusively white, a selling point promoted to prospective buyers in advertising and promotional materials.

The legal framework supporting these covenants began to erode in 1948, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Shelley v. Kraemer that racially restrictive covenants could not be enforced in court. However, the decision did not make the covenants themselves illegal, and many remained in property records for decades. In 1968, the federal Fair Housing Act formally outlawed such restrictions, but real estate steering, informal agreements among residents, and discriminatory lending practices helped maintain the racial composition of these neighborhoods well into the late 20th century.

Urban historians note that the Janss Investment Company was not unique in its use of exclusionary covenants, but it was among the most influential in Southern California. By coupling private development with public institutions like UCLA, the company reinforced patterns of segregation that shaped access to schools, parks, and commercial districts.

Today, remnants of this system persist in the built environment — in property lines, school district boundaries, and the demographics of neighborhoods first shaped under these policies. While the original covenants are no longer legally enforceable, their legacy continues to influence who lives where in Los Angeles.