Long Beach Press-Telegram: Long Beach celebrates 48 more affordable housing units

Chris Haire, Long Beach Press-Telegram

Long Beach celebrated a relatively new affordable housing development on Thursday, Feb. 24 — one that provides some units for those who are or have been homeless.

The Vistas del Puerto Apartments, which Long Beach christened on the same day as the city’s annual homeless count, boasts one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment units for lower-income folks. The development is one of myriad other projects that have opened or are in the planning in Long Beach, as officials work to increase its housing stock to both increase affordability and meet an ambitious goal that calls for the city to build 26,500 units in eight years.

The complex opened last year and has been 100% occupied since April or May, said an official with developer Clifford Beers Housing.

“Long Beach continues to do all we can to prioritize the development and preservation of quality, affordable housing throughout the city,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “The new Vistas del Puerto development reflects this commitment — providing 48 permanent homes, many supportive services and access to nearby transportation for residents in our Midtown community.”

To qualify for one of the development’s units, households must make 30 to 60% of the area’s median income, the city said. And half of the units were reserved for people with special needs, such as those with chronic health conditions, and folks who are or have been homeless.

Vistas del Puerto, in Central Long Beach not far from Poly High School, also provides on-site resources for residents, the city said in a press release, including mental health support, substance abuse counseling, employment preparation and life skills workshops.

The development, 1836 Locust Ave., offers more than shelter and services, however. Various amenities are available to residents. They can relax on a rooftop terrace or stroll around a lush courtyard. And the complex has two commercial spaces available, according to the city.

“Vistas del Puerto is a wonderful addition to the Sixth District community, and we are honored to welcome new families to the neighborhood,” Councilwoman Suely Saro, who represents the Sixth District, said in a statement. “This modern development provides much-needed quality, affordable homes and will connect residents to vital services and workplaces in Long Beach and beyond.”

Thursday’s grand opening, which included a ribbon-cutting and tours, was entirely ceremonial. But it celebrated a project that began in earnest in 2018, when the Long Beach Community Investment Company, a city-affiliated nonprofit, OK’d a $3.02 million gap financing loan to development firm Clifford Beers Housing.

Clifford Beers Housing, which opened in 2005, specializes in affordable housing. Vistas del Puerto is the third development for which the city’s investment company has partnered with Clifford Beers, said LBCIC Chair Mary Castro said in a statement.

“Vistas del Puerto Apartments serve as a template for a new kind of holistic development,” Cristian Ahumada, executive director and CEO of Clifford Beers Housing, said in a statement. “This project was designed to solve for a multitude of crises including homelessness, racial inequity, climate change and economic fallout from the pandemic. We need to take a proactive approach to address the urgent needs facing our communities and planet.”

Long Beach has welcomed other affordable housing projects recently, with more on the way.

The Beacon, a 160-unit Central Long Beach complex, opened in May, offering 39 units for formerly homeless veterans and 121 units for very-low-income seniors.

Less than two months later, the Spark at Midtown, a 95-unit affordable housing project, opened.

A townhouse rental project, meant to offering affordable units to multigenerational families, also broke ground last summer and was slated to open later this year.

And earlier this month, the Long Beach City Council took steps to potentially convert a former group home into another afforable housing development.

The council has also passed rules that incentivize developers to build affordable housing and could soon expedite the process for home owners who want to build accessory-dwelling units. A moderate housing program could also be on its way.

“The LBCIC stands strong in its commitment to partnering with both public and private entities,” Castro said about Vistas del Puerto, “to help bring more housing options to Long Beach neighborhoods.”

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