Description

The Courtyards in Long Beach is a substantial rehabilitation of four single-story courtyard-style apartment buildings constructed in the 1920s, with studio apartments complete with kitchens and bathrooms. The architectural design of each building compliments the surrounding historic homes, and was designed using green-building criteria from Enterprise’s Green Communities program. The renovation of the dilapidated buildings presents a significant investment in the Long Beach community.

The Courtyards in Long Beach provides permanent supportive housing for 23 homeless and mentally ill households in a mixed population, scatter-site development model. 50% of the apartments are reserved for Mental Health Services Act eligible households, with supportive services provided by Mental Health America of Los Angeles Village. The project received an allocation of tax credits in 2008, just as the financial markets were collapsing and demand from the investment community for low income housing tax credits (LIHTC) had all but disappeared. Clifford Beers Housing was able to weather this storm thanks to its perseverance and “whatever-it-takes” mentality; the project successfully applied for American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funds in lieu of LIHTC equity. The Courtyards in Long Beach was one of the first Mental Health Services Act-funded projects with ARRA funds.