“In doing the research for this program, that’s the most vulnerable (age group),” said LBHDC development project manager Norma Lopez. “A lot of times, they don’t have the skills necessary so that’s when we want to catch them to provide the services they need.”

Potential residents will go through an intense application, orientation and selection process, said Charissa Abbay, director of development for United Friends.

“It’s really a neat opportunity to serve this population,” Weir said. “There’s a lot of homeless youth currently residing in Long Beach and this is a real fantastic program United Friends of the Children has. It really helps these people transform their lives.”

Built in 1929, the Palace Hotel began as a modest refuge a few miles from the beach. In the 1940s, the Long Beach Independent ran three-line classifieds that advertised the hotel. On Valentine’s Day 1943: “Defense workers, men and wives: we have a few rooms just vacated by men called to service. See them today.”

Also from 1943: “Two double rooms. Man and wife if working. No drunks.”

The hotel gradually became a place where tenants stayed for years and prostitutes and drug dealers did business.

A judge ordered the owner to make public safety improvements to the hotel, required management to refrain from renting rooms to suspected criminals and allowing tenants to reside at the hotel for more than 30 consecutive days.

The owner was ordered to pay $3,000 in fines for disobeying a court order that guests could stay in the hotel for no more than 30 days.

The city ultimately purchased the 11,276-square-foot building at a delinquency sale in April 2004 and sold it to the LBHDC in September 2005 for $1 plus $244,500 in earthquake bond assessment and property taxes. In 2007, four developers responded to LBHDC’s Request for Qualifications for the Palace renovation.

City Councilman Patrick O’Donnell, whose 4th District includes the development, said the project fulfills a significant housing need in town.

“I always saw the need for some kind of opportunity for foster youth and had an interest in where foster youth go because there's really no (housing),” he said. “This is a bridge to the future for our foster youth.”

Copyright © Long Beach Press-Telegram

Reprinted with permission.

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