PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach Community Development Department is opening the 2025 application cycle for its Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program (Mills Act), an economic incentive program for properties in the city’s designated historic districts and historic landmark buildings. The Mills Act application and guide will be available to the public on the Department’s Mills Act webpage beginning on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. 

“We endure in our commitment to preserve Long Beach’s rich heritage and maintain the unique buildings that reflect the character and diversity of our city,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We are not only helping protect historic homes, our Mills Act program also provides qualified property owners with valuable tax savings each year.”

Historic district property owners, owners of individual properties outside of the districts that have been designated as historic landmarks, and those who believe their property could be historic and are willing to landmark the property, are all encouraged to learn more about eligibility and potential tax savings to consider whether to apply. Detailed information regarding eligibility and process can be found on the Mills Act webpage.

Those who wish to submit an application to be considered for the 2025 Mills Act incentive program are required to attend two public workshops to learn more:

Pre-Application Workshop (Hybrid)
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, 10 a.m. to noon
Jenny Oropeza Community Center at Cesar E. Chavez Park
401 Golden Ave.
RSVP required

Application Workshop (Virtual)
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, 10 a.m. to noon
RSVP required

All potential applicants or their representatives must attend the Jan. 25 pre-application workshop to determine eligibility and learn about the process for preparing an application and calculating individual property tax savings. Eligible applicants interested in proceeding with the application process must then attend the Feb. 22 application workshop for their applications to be considered. 

Interpretation services and translated materials will be available in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog at both workshops, upon request. The Department will also record promotional videos in each language that will be shared on the Department’s webpage and social media channels.

The Mills Act application and a non-refundable processing fee of $545 must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Friday, March 14, 2025, to be considered for the 2025 program.

Staff anticipate that the applications will be reviewed by the Cultural Heritage Commission by July 1, 2025, and transmitted to the Long Beach City Council for action before Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. Final property tax contracts will be sent to the County Recorder on/or before Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.

In January 2015, the City Council approved revisions to the Mills Act to provide more opportunities for eligible Long Beach historic property owners. The Mills Act, established by the State in 1993, offers a financial incentive for property owners undertaking restoration, rehabilitation, or maintenance of a designated historic property. The incentive is achieved through property tax relief to owners of historic properties in exchange for the rehabilitation and restoration of the historic property pursuant to the terms of a Mills Act contract with the City.

For questions about the Mills Act, please contact the Historic Preservation Division at 562.570.6194 or MillsAct@longbeach.gov.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For more information about the Community Development Department, visit longbeach.gov/lbcd  and like on Facebook page and follow on X and Instagram.