LONG BEACH, Calif., October 25, 2024 – On October 23, 2024, the April Parker Foundation proudly hosted the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of the Futures First: Youth Transitional Housing program, Long Beach’s first transitional housing dedicated to supporting youth aged 18 to 30. Located at 1489 Atlantic Ave., this new facility is a collaborative effort with Mayor Rex Richardson and the Long Beach Health & Human Services Department to address the pressing needs of one of the city’s most at-risk populations.
The Futures First: Youth Transitional Housing is a key component of Mayor Richardson’s ‘Functional Zero’ initiative, aimed at eradicating youth homelessness in Long Beach. The facility will provide housing and a comprehensive range of support services for up to 24 young adults each year. Designed to break the cycle of housing instability and unemployment, the program focuses on fostering self-sufficiency through career development, educational support, life skills training, personalized case management, mental health services, substance abuse counseling, and job placement assistance.
“We need to support our city in building pathways to housing. This is not permanent housing; it’s the next step,” said April Parker, Founder of the April Parker Foundation. “We are here to welcome our young residents, meet them where they are and give them the services and the love they need to thrive in their lives.”
The ribbon-cutting event welcomed community leaders, advocates, and officials, including Mayor Rex Richardson, who highlighted the importance of culturally relevant services in addressing inequities. “The inequities that were exposed during the pandemic show that there were more significant challenges with the Black and Brown communities,” said Richardson. “April Parker and her team stood up; she’s assembled a team from our local community that speaks the language of our local community—making a big difference that needs to be recognized.”
The April Parker Foundation extends heartfelt gratitude to the community partners who made this project possible. The Futures First: Youth Transitional Housing represents a major step forward in closing resource gaps for youth in Long Beach, reinforcing the Foundation’s commitment to empowering underserved communities and creating opportunities for lasting change.
The April Parker Foundation is a community-based non-profit organization that serves the historically underserved BIPOC communities in Orange and Los Angeles Counties through a range of culturally relevant, highly supportive offerings. We strive to empower disadvantaged individuals, families, veterans, and small businesses with the goal of uplifting our community as a whole.