After years of walking past long-vacant, dilapidated buildings, Zaferia's neighbors are finally getting a very different view. Long Beach officials and nonprofit developer Linc Housing have broken ground on Thrive at Fountain, a 73-unit affordable housing community that will reserve 18 apartments for residents with disabilities. Aimed at working families and people earning up to 60 percent of the area's median income, the complex is slated to open in late 2027 and will come with resident services, outdoor play space, and parking.
What’s Being Built
Thrive at Fountain will rise on two parcels at 4151 and 4153 East Fountain Street and will consist of a four-story building and a three-story building with a total of 73 apartments: 36 one-bedrooms, 16 two-bedrooms, and 21 three-bedrooms, plus a manager’s unit, according to Linc Housing. The development will set aside 18 units for people with disabilities and is designed to serve households at about 60 percent of the area's median income. BAR Architects & Interiors led the design and, per Linc, wove in neighborhood feedback on color, landscaping, and how residents and visitors move through the site.
Funding And Partners
The project carries an approximate $66 million price tag and is being financed through a mix of public and private sources, including U.S. Bank, the California Community Reinvestment Corporation, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the City of Long Beach, and the Long Beach Community Investment Company, with United Building Company serving as general contractor, as reported by the Press-Telegram. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Suny Lay Chang of the Long Beach Community Investment Company called the development “the epitome of public-private partnership and perseverance and creativity,” according to the same coverage.
Timeline And Next Steps
The City of Long Beach lists the site as under construction with an estimated completion in December 2027, while Linc marks the project’s opening year as 2027 and says application details will be released closer to completion. Per the city’s affordable-housing list, Thrive is one of several family-focused rental projects currently moving through construction in Long Beach. Prospective renters are being urged to keep an eye on the developer and city housing pages for application windows and lottery details.
Why It Matters For Zaferia
Local leaders are framing the project as a turning point for the neighborhood. Councilmember Kristina Duggan called the groundbreaking “a historic day for District 3,” noting it is the first affordable housing project to be approved, entitled, and constructed in the district, according to the Press-Telegram. City staff says Thrive will help expand income-restricted housing stock for families and people with special needs while transforming a boarded-up site into connected, usable open space.
Organizers estimate construction will also create local jobs during the build. For updates on waitlists and application windows, residents can check Linc Housing’s community page and the City of Long Beach housing list.
