By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
The City of Long Beach continues to lead Los Angeles County in its commitment to build affordable housing — even as the City of Los Angeles struggles to move projects from pipeline to construction.
That after the City partnered with developer Linc Housing last week to break ground on Thrive, a 73-unit apartment complex in the Zaferia neighborhood that represents a significant step in the City’s efforts to expand affordable family housing to all parts of Long Beach.
“The new Thrive community delivers more affordable homes in close proximity to schools, parks, the library, and transit, helping reduce household costs for working families while expanding access to everyday resources and opportunity,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. “By locating this development along a major transit corridor, we are building a more connected, sustainable, and inclusive Long Beach.”
Thrive, located at 4151 E. Fountain Street, will consist of two newly constructed buildings: one three stories tall and another four stories tall. Importantly, 21 of the apartments will have three bedrooms each, helping to reduce a gap in the family rental market.
The rest of Thrive will consist of 16 two-bedroom apartments and 36 one-bedroom units. All units will meet state and federal accessibility requirements, and a portion of the homes include enhanced mobility and communication features to better serve residents with disabilities.
Eighteen of Thrive’s homes will be reserved for people who have disabilities and earn no more than 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). These units will be designed with accessibility features that aid residents who use a wheelchair, have differing hearing or vision abilities or have other disabilities.
Fifty-four units will go to residents with household incomes no more than 60% of the AMI. One unit will be occupied by an on-site property manager.
“This is an exciting day for our community and an important step in helping more families find a safe and stable place to call home,” said Third District Councilmember Kristina Duggan. “This project makes history as the first affordable housing project to be approved and constructed here in District 3.”
Fourth District Councilman Daryl Supernaw was instrumental in the early planning for Thrive when the property, formerly known as the Fountain Street Apartments, was part of his district.
The $66.1 million project is partly funded through the Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC), the nonprofit arm of the City formed to increase housing availability and affordability in Long Beach.
In a local, state and federal partnership, LBCIC loans were made possible with funding from the State of California’s Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Asset Fund and Housing Trust Fund and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant program.
Meanwhile, the City of Los Angeles continues to fall short on affordable housing delivery, with nearly 9,500 units stuck in the pipeline across Los Angeles, according to a recent report by Enterprise Community Partners. Mayor Karen Bass’s Executive Directive 1, signed in 2022 to speed up affordable housing approvals, has yet to produce a meaningful increase in construction starts or completions.
Long Beach now has six affordable housing developments under construction across the city, five of which were partly funded by the LBCIC.
In March, the City broke ground on the Armory Arts Collective (854 E. 7th St.), which will create 63 apartments for low-income older adults on the site of a former National Guard station.
Other LBCIC-funded affordable housing under construction include The 101 (101 E. Pacific Coast Highway), which consists of 51 apartments for people who have experienced homelessness; Alamitos on 4th (300 Alamitos Ave.), 81 apartments for older adults who have lower incomes or who have experienced homelessness; Linden Apartments (946 Linden Ave.), which consists of 99 units designed for low-income families and individuals; and Habitat for Humanity townhomes (5500 block of Orange Avenue), with eight units for low-income families seeking a path to homeownership.
Construction on Thrive is expected to wrap in late 2027. The application process for prospective residents will be announced as completion approaches.
