A Legacy of Justice
Century got its start during one of the largest public works projects in U.S. history. In 1972, planning began on the Century Freeway (I-105), a major thoroughfare through Los Angeles County. Residents in areas affected by the proposed development fought the project through the lawsuit, Keith v. Volpe.
Judge Harry Pregerson oversaw the litigation regarding the Century Freeway for more than 40 years. Judge Pregerson is remembered as an activist judge who sought justice for underserved groups—at his confirmation hearing for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, he testified, “If I had to follow my conscience or the law, I would follow my conscience.”
Judge Pregerson fought to ensure the 1979 consent decree, which resolved the litigation and cleared the way for the freeway’s construction, addressed the many needs of the impacted community members. Among its provisions, the consent decree established the Century Freeway Housing Program, a state agency whose goal was to create approximately 4,000 affordable homes for community members displaced by the freeway. Over the next 14 years, the program surpassed its goal, producing 5,700 affordable homes.
In 1995, two years after the freeway opened, the program incorporated as Century Housing Corporation—the only known California state agency to privatize as a nonprofit organization. This marked the beginning of our mission-driven efforts, initially utilizing capital from our predecessor, the Century Freeway Housing Program.
