Help for FOSTER CARE arriving.

Long Beach City Councilmember Patrick O'Donnell, 4th District, The Long Beach Housing Development Company (LBHDC), LINC Housing Corporation, and United Friends of the Children (UFC) will host a Community Preview at The Palace Hotel on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 2:00 pm. The Palace Hotel, built in 1929 at 2640 E. Anaheim St., will soon begin renovation and construction to become home to 13 youths transitioning from foster care.Attendees of the Community Preview will have the opportunity to view renderings of the renovation project as well as talk with representatives from LINC Housing, UFC, LBHDC and the City of Long Beach. In Long Beach, there are more than 1,000 children in foster care. According to UFC, without assistance, many of these young people will become homeless and chronically unemployed within two to four years of leaving the foster care system. In addition to the 13 studio apartments, the property will also include a manager's unit, common areas, offices to help provide services to the residents, as well as retail space on the first floor that may help employ some of the residents. Several technologies will improve the sustainability of the building including a photovoltaic array and fuel cells that use natural gas to create electricity and in the conversion process generate heat that will be used to generate domestic hot water. Residents at The Palace will be required to work and pay rent, in addition to attending weekly life-skills classes and regular meetings with their advocacy counselors. Construction is due to begin in the spring.