Hotel’s New Life
The Palace in Long Beach will be converted into housing for former foster kids
 
Press-Telegram, June 21, 2010
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer

Long Beach Councilman Patrick O’Donnell, far left, and Polly Williams, President of United Friends of the Children, punch holes in the wall with golden sledgehammers at the old Palace Hotel in Long Beach during the ceremonial start of construction to turn the hotel into a residential complex for at-risk youths leaving the foster care system. Next to them are Hunter Johnson, President & CEO of LINC Housing and Susanna Gonzales, alumni of United Friends of the Children. (Steven Georges / Press-Telegram)

 
LONG BEACH - On Monday, work began to turn the once-notorious and abandoned Palace Hotel into a place of hope for young men and women leaving the state’s foster care system.

In lieu of a more traditional groundbreaking, a wall-breaking was staged in the historic building, which will be converted.

After renovations are completed on the $6 million project, the hotel will be converted into 13 studio apartments for an often overlooked segment of the population.

In addition to housing, the youth will receive social, educational, mental health, job training and life-skills services, run by the nonprofit United Friends of the Children.

The Long Beach Housing Development Company, which owns the building, is contributing about half of the cost of the renovations. Long Beach-based LINC Housing is the nonprofit developer.

The Palace Hotel will be the city’s first housing unit for youth coming out of foster care.

According to officials, of the 1,400 to 1,500 youths who leave foster care each year in Los Angeles County, a staggering half face homelessness or chronic unemployment within two years.

Residents at the Palace Hotel will pay rent and stay there for about 18 months as they prepare to become independent.

Copyright © 2010 Press-Telegram
Reprinted with permission.

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