Services for Older Residents in Laguna Beach

The Susi Q Center and Laguna Beach Seniors

The city operates the Laguna Beach Community & Susi Q Senior Center at 380 Third Street. The nonprofit Laguna Beach Seniors runs the programs there with the city, and it lists classes and events, clubs, individual counseling and care management. The Laguna Beach Seniors office is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 5:00, at (949) 464-6645. The city says parking in the underground structure is free for people attending programs or meetings in the building. For the city’s other recreation facilities, see recreation and community centers.

Care management and help at home

• Care management. The Susi Q says this free service starts with an assessment of what you need and links you to practical and mental health resources. Appointments run Monday to Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in person, by phone or by Zoom. Call 949.715.8104.
• Lifelong Laguna. This aging-in-place program uses vetted volunteers for errands and companionship and connects people to home modification services. It also offers a home modification assessment and emergency preparedness help. The Director of Aging in Place Services is at (949) 715-8107.
• Home repairs. Under the city’s Senior Housing Rehab and Repair Program, the city funds up to $5,000 per project and Habitat for Humanity Orange County makes the repairs, for older homeowners on limited incomes. Laguna Beach Seniors handles intake.

Meals, health and legal help

• Lunch Bunch. The Susi Q lists a lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., catered by Age Well, with a suggested donation of $5.50 for ages 60 and older. Reservations are required at (949) 715-5462. Age Well also offers Meals on Wheels.
• Laguna Food Pantry. It distributes free food Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 10:30 a.m., at (949) 497-7121.
• Medicare counseling. Counselors from HICAP, the California Department of Aging’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, see people by appointment on the third Monday of the month.
• Hearing screenings and legal clinic. The Susi Q lists free hearing screenings on the third Thursday and a legal clinic for people 55 and older on the second Tuesday, both by appointment.

Schedules change, so confirm each by phone.

Getting around without driving

• Sally’s Fund. Free rides to and from the Susi Q for Laguna Beach residents 60 and older on weekdays. Schedule ahead at (949) 499-4100.
• Age Well Senior Services. Non-emergency medical rides for people 60 and older to Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach and Mission Viejo, and to Irvine, Newport Beach and San Clemente up to 15 miles from home. Call (949) 855-8033.
• Laguna Local and the trolley. The city’s free on-demand Laguna Local runs between residential neighborhoods and major activity centers, and it keeps a wheelchair-accessible vehicle available. It has no fixed schedule, and the city does not guarantee pickup times. All trolleys are wheelchair-accessible. Dispatch is (949) 497-0766.
• OCTA. OCTA gives seniors a fare discount on its fixed-route buses. OC ACCESS is a separate service for people who cannot ride the fixed-route bus because of a disability. OCTA bases eligibility on functional ability, not a diagnosis, and requires an application and an in-person assessment. Call (714) 560-5956.

See getting around for routes and parking.

Property tax rules for homeowners 55 and older

Proposition 19 lets homeowners who are 55 or older, severely disabled, or victims of wildfire or natural disaster transfer the taxable base-year value of a principal residence to a replacement principal residence. The Board of Equalization lists these terms for homeowners 55 or older or severely disabled:

1. The replacement home is bought or built within two years of selling the original.
2. It can be anywhere in California.
3. You can use the transfer up to three times.
4. If the replacement costs more than the “equal or lesser value” limit, the excess is added to the transferred value. The limit is 100 percent of the original home’s market value if you buy before you sell, 105 percent in the first year after the sale and 110 percent in the second.

The Orange County Assessor also lists the $7,000 Homeowners’ Exemption, and it says you can file its forms for free. The State Controller runs a property tax postponement program for low-income blind, disabled or senior homeowners. Call the Board of Equalization’s Property Tax Department at 1-916-274-3350 or the Assessor’s main line at 714-834-2727 to confirm your case. See property taxes for the general rules.

Hospital and emergency care

Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach is at 31872 Coast Highway, and Providence says its emergency room is open 24 hours a day. Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency. The hospitals and urgent care page has numbers and the city’s updates on the hospital’s future.

For wildfire alerts, the city says people with access and functional needs should leave as soon as an Evacuation Warning is issued. Learn your zone on the emergency alerts and wildfire page.