A new 82-unit affordable housing community for low-income seniors in downtown Long Beach is holding its rental lottery on September 3, offering one-bedroom apartments to adults 55 and older, including people with lived experience of homelessness. Alamitos on 4th, located at 300 Alamitos Avenue, is accepting applications through Tuesday, with the drawing set for 10 a.m. at 941 East Pacific Coast Highway. The project is expected to open in January 2027.
The building was developed by Mercy Housing California in partnership with the City of Long Beach’s housing arm, according to the Long Beach Post. Of the 82 units, 40 are reserved for households earning up to 30% of the area median income, 33 for households earning up to 50% of AMI, and eight for households earning up to 60% of AMI, per the same report. Forty of those units come with 20-year Section 8 Project-Based Voucher subsidies from the Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach, aimed at extremely low-income seniors and formerly unhoused residents, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
Households receiving those project-based vouchers are referred through the regional Coordinated Entry System, the Long Beach Post notes, while the remaining units go through the public lottery. Of the 41 lottery units, 31 give application priority to older adults who live, work, or attend school in Long Beach, according to a notice from Constant Contact — a local preference intended to help longtime residents stay in the city as costs rise.
How the Application and Lottery Process Works
Prospective residents could apply between July 27 and Tuesday, and mailed applications must be postmarked by that same date, per the Long Beach Post. Rental applications may be submitted in person, by mail, or by email, and attendance at the September 3 lottery itself is not required to be considered for a unit. The lottery has limited seating, and results will be announced after the drawing concludes…