Century Celebrates The Beacon
Century Housing, in partnership with the City of Long Beach and The Long Beach Community Investment Company, invited the public to celebrate the completion of The Beacon last week with a virtual event featuring a video presentation acknowledging the many partners and agencies that made the development a success. Home to more than 200 veterans and seniors, many who have experienced homelessness, The Beacon is a landmark symbol of hope at the gateway to Downtown Long Beach.
“This place has been a godsend,” said Kevin Snow, a resident of The Beacon who has experienced 14 years of homelessness. “I’m off the street, I have security…it’s quiet, it’s clean.”
“There’s no denying that this past year has been a very difficult and painful year on many, many levels,” said Century Housing Senior Vice President Brian D’Andrea. “This development represents a source of light and hope for all of us, including the more than 200 residents who now call The Beacon home along with the larger Long Beach community. This is an asset that we can all be proud of.”
The virtual grand opening featured celebratory remarks from LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Long Beach Councilmember Mary Zendejas, and all of the many partners and collaborators who brought The Beacon to life.
“We are committed to continuing the investment of our resources in developments like The Beacon that fill the vital need for additional affordable housing in the city,” said Patrice Wong, Chair of The Long Beach Community Investment Company, which approved more than $12 million in funding for the project in 2017. “This is a valuable and beautiful project that enhances the strong network of neighborhoods that sustain and promote a thriving Long Beach.”
The Beacon is a transit-oriented development that includes 160 affordable and supportive homes. Located across from the Metro Blue Line light rail and bus lines that operate along both Long Beach Boulevard and East Anaheim Street, residents have immediate connections to vital services and workplaces in Long Beach and beyond.
“The Beacon is a critical project in Long Beach to serve both formerly homeless veterans and formerly homeless seniors, as well as low-income seniors,” said Century Housing Vice President of Housing Oscar Alvarado. “We have a housing crisis, and we have a homelessness crisis … this is really just a quintessential site for an affordable housing development in a dense community.”
