Lashawn Stanley had been struggling to find housing in Long Beach since 2022. She said that her previous apartment flooded, that water damage and mold made it unlivable and left her seriously ill, with severe rashes, swelling and difficulty breathing.

When her landlord failed to fix the problems, she was forced to leave and was left without stable housing, staying with friends or sleeping outside.

A lifelong Long Beach resident and city employee, Stanley said she was too embarrassed to ask for help and always felt that there was someone else who needed the help more than she did. As much as she helps others on a daily basis, Stanley said she decided it was time to help herself too.

Three weeks ago, Stanely moved into her apartment at the newly opened Zephyr Apartments, one of the city’s

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