After serving 7.5 years in the U.S. Army, Jason Smith’s life took an unexpected turn. In 2017, the Southern California native lost his job as a mechanic in Atlanta and found himself without a home, he said.
“For a time, I lived in my car while working full time,” Smith said.
In 2021, he moved back to Southern California and ended up in Long Beach, where he now has a permanent place to call home.
Smith is one of the newest residents of The Cove, a 90-unit affordable housing development for veterans — including those who are homeless — at the Century Villages at Cabrillo in Long Beach. It was developed by Century Affordable Development, Inc.
City leaders and community members celebrated the grand opening of the affordable housing development with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
The Cove has 89 studio apartments and one two-bedroom manager’s unit. There are 60 units of permanent supportive housing for veterans who are homeless through vouchers from the Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach.
“We are breaking records in Long Beach, a record pace on housing production,” Mayor Rex Richardson said during the ceremony. “In fact, all throughout 2024, we’ve broken housing, affordable housing, accessory dwelling unit entitlement and production records in the city of Long Beach. Right now, we have more than 2,500 units in construction across our entire city, representing a billion dollars of investment in housing.
“This project, The Cove, represents a portion of that,” he added, “that’s 90 units for 89 veterans who’ve stepped up for us. They’ve dedicated their lives and their services to us, and now we get to support them. They’ve had our backs, and now we need to have their backs.”
The Cove also has amenities such as a community room, computer lab, offices, courtyard with barbecue stations, game tables, lounge areas, a study area, and bicycle repair shop that will serve the entire Villages campus, according to a press release.
The apartment community is also LEED Gold-certified, which means it has sustainable features, such as solar panels, electric vehicle chargers and native landscaping.
“The Cove represents a meaningful milestone for this former Navy housing site, now home to the Villages at Cabrillo, where more than 1,500 residents reside each night,” said Brian D’Andrea, senior vice president of housing at Century Housing.
“As the newest addition to the Villages, The Cove’s 90 apartments embody nearly three decades of Century Housing’s mission,” D’Andrea added, “creating dignified, supportive and affordable homes for those in need, and standing as a crown jewel in our journey of transformation.”
Residents such as Smith are referred to The Cove through the Long Beach Multi-Service Center’s Coordinated Entry System, and have access to supportive services provided by the VA Long Beach Healthcare System and Century Oasis Residential Services.
The grand opening featured a performance by the Cabrillo High School marching band and a presentation of colors by Cabrillo’s Navy Junior ROTC.
In attendance were city officials, including newly appointed Vice Mayor Roberto Uranga, state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, representatives from the offices of Rep. Robert Garcia and Los Angeles Supervisor Janice Hahn, Century Village and city staffers, and residents.
“As the granddaughter, niece and cousin of veterans, it’s so incredible to see this in my own hometown,” Gonzalez, who represents the 33rd Senate District, said during the ceremony, “to see what we’re doing for veterans here in Long Beach.”
The project was made possible through public and private partnerships, including the Long Beach Community Investment Company, Los Angeles County Development Authority, Wells Fargo and Century Housing Corporation, among others.
Construction on the project began in 2022 and finished earlier this year, according to a press release.
Smith, who moved into The Cove about a month ago, shared his story with the crowd.
“By 2021, I was working at a warehouse that supplied materials for what would become The Cove — never imagining it would one day become my home,” Smith said. “After months in transitional housing, I finally have a stable place to call my own. Life has a way of coming full circle and for that, I’m deeply grateful.”
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