Oldest Public Housing Complex Refurbished
- Share via
It took more than 10 years and cost more than $24 million, but the revitalization of the Carmelitos Housing Development in Long Beach--the county’s oldest public housing complex--has finally been completed.
Shapell Housing Inc. has put the finishing touches on the $6.5-million final phase of the revitalization program by opening a 155-unit senior citizens complex on the 64-acre site at 1000 Via Wanda.
Carmelitos was built in two phases. The first phase, completed in 1941, contained more than 550 concrete-and-steel apartments, many for servicemen and their families.
A second phase of 130 units was completed in 1943. Those apartments were built of wood and stucco.
The Los Angeles County Housing Authority launched a revitalization program for Carmelitos in 1976. The concrete-and-steel apartments were eventually refurbished, and the wood-and-stucco units were torn down to make room for the senior citizens complex.
Carmelitos now houses nearly 2,000 low-income persons. The project is owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
