'A Model For The Rest Of The Country': Civil Rights Pioneer Dolores Huerta Breaks Ground On Namesake Apartments
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Civil rights pioneer Dolores Huerta broke ground Friday on a housing project for the homeless that bears her name.
The ground was broken Friday on the Dolores Huerta Apartments on Figueroa Street in South LA. The units will made out of shipping containers and will eventually house 40 people.
By using the shipping containers, Councilman Curren Price Jr. says he was able to cut construction costs and turnaround time by almost two-thirds. Huerta says she can see more such developments in the future.
"Seeing what is happening here, I think it's going to be a model for the rest of the country and I hope that other developers, other people that provide the capital, will see this model that you're doing here and make it happen quicker, faster, so that more people can get off of the street," she said.
Huerta, who turned 91 years old last month, was joined Friday by two students from Dolores Huerta Elementary School who presented her with Mother's Day flowers.
The apartments should be ready for move in by the end of the year.