CPLC was founded in 1969 by young
Chicano men and women, hoping to improve the quality of life for Arizona's Mexican American population. Inspired by
Dolores Huerta and
Cesar Chavez, CPLC advocated for equity in education, politics, and labor conditions. Requested from the parish council of the
Historic Sacred Heart Church to utilize
Santa Rita Hall for community engagement efforts; the parish council granted them the request at the insistence of parish council member
Abraham F. Arvizu, who was subsequently elected to CPLC's Board of Directors. Santa Rita is credited with being the birthplace of CPLC. The
National Council of La Raza invested and supported the organization, and with that financial assistance, CPLC implemented programs focusing on bilingual housing referral services for low income communities in South Central Phoenix. In the 1970s, CPLC board member Guadalupe Huerta advocated for increased capacity of senior housing related to the destruction of the
Golden Gate Barrio by the
City of Phoenix, which led to the development of one of the earliest known senior housing projects in Phoenix, Casa de Primavera. == References ==