Board of Water and Power Commissioners President, Cynthia McLain-Hill (second from R), attends grand opening of the Dolores Huerta Apartments and chats with fellow guests including John Yamamoto of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan, Southern California, (on the L) and Emil Abdelshehid, LADWP’s Assistant Director of Power New Business and Electrification (on the R).
LOS ANGELES (JUNE 05, 2023) – President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, Cynthia McClain-Hill was among the guests at the recent ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Dolores Huerta Apartments located at 5215 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, 90037.
The 100% affordable housing development is named in honor of Ms. Dolores Huerta, Co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association and influential labor activist. Huerta joined Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Curren Price, Jr. of the 9th Council District 9, for a special speaking program outside the supportive housing complex that preceded a tour of the apartments inside.
Deborah La Franchi, Founder and CEO of SDS Capital Group, John Yamamoto of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan, Southern California, and Veronica Lewis of Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System rounded out the speaking program.
LADWP is proud to align its policies and initiatives with the priorities of Mayor Bass’s Inside Safe Initiative to increase housing production in LA. Just this past March, the Board of Water and Power Commissioners passed LADWP’s new Project PowerHouse initiative introduced by Board President McClain-Hill. Under the initiative, LADWP covers the cost of providing power to those projects, which can substantially alleviate cost borne by developers to build affordable housing units. Additionally, developers of 100% affordable permanent housing projects work closely with LADWP staff at the beginning of their projects’ planning phase rather than near the end of their projects’ approval timeline with L.A. City Planning, to speed up approvals and prevent delays.
The Dolores Huerta Apartments are a great example of how LADWP is meeting the moment by prioritizing 100% Affordable Housing construction, reducing costs and improving communication with developers to get their projects energized so they can begin serving Angelenos in need of permanent housing.
Learn more about Mayor Bass’ Executive Directive 1 here.
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