Affordable housing opens new doors

Avalon recently announced that 25 apartments will be discounted for those with lower incomes. Newport Beach and Costa Mesa may be viewed as relatively affluent areas in Southern California. But there are many seniors living on fixed incomes who cannot afford to live here.

The staff at Avalon at Newport -- a Newport Beach independent assisted living community -- received many requests to address the needs of low-income seniors, while undergoing a major remodel for the past two years.

“We found that there’s a huge need for affordable housing for the elderly,” said Zach Moonitz, marketing director at Avalon.

Avalon recently announced that 25 of its 166 apartments, many of which have just been remodeled, are now available to low-income seniors at a discounted price. Avalon is managed by Vintage Senior Management and is the only one of its facilities to offer affordable housing.

To qualify for the discount, seniors must prove an annual income of $26,000 to $32,000, though if a senior does not meet the criteria he or she can still apply -- if a family member is willing to subsidize a portion of the cost.

Kathleen Foley will be the first new resident under the new program. Her daughter, Kathy Collier of Mission Viejo, had been looking for a place for her mother but found everything to be too expensive.

Foley, 95, had been living in Arcadia in housing subsidized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Collier said the drive back and forth was getting to be too much for her mother, who began having health issues. The family wanted her closer.

Collier’s husband, who works at Pacific Life, saw an ad for Avalon and decided it was worth checking out.

“He walked in and was so pleased with the place,” Collier said. “I brought my mom over the very next day.”

Collier said the discounted price is very helpful because she and her husband are supporting Foley, as well as their own children.

“This program was a blessing for them because they couldn’t find any place that was affordable,” Moonitz said.

Collier said her mother will be moved in on Sunday. She acknowledges it will be an adjustment for Foley, but the lack of a long commute will be worth it. Collier’s husband works close by and plans to make frequent lunch visits. Plus, a daughter who lives in Irvine is a stay-at-home mom, and can take the baby to visit Foley regularly.

“It sounds like it’s just going to be perfect,” Collier said. “It’s a beautiful place.... She likes to be with people. If she can find somebody to talk to, she can find them there.”

Moonitz said, having met Foley, he thinks she’ll fit right in.

“She’s going to add to our community and she’ll make great friends,” he said.

Twenty-two apartments are still available to low-income seniors. For more information, call (949) 631-3555 or drop by 393 Hospital Road, Newport Beach, on the corner of Newport Boulevard and Hospital Road, across the street from Hoag Hospital.

* LINDSAY SANDHAM is the news assistant. She can be reached at (714) 966-4625 or lindsay.sandham@latimes.com.

20051203iqwgvrknMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)George Frey, center, a resident of Avalon at Newport, pulls a ball from the hopper while Ada Gentosi, left, and Anita Martin, right, also residents, wait to see what the next number will be during Friday afternoon’s bingo game.