Long Beach Reports First Decrease in Homelessness Since 2017

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: Mayor Rex Richardson, City Manager Tom Modica, Deputy City Manager Teresa Chandler
and Director of Health and Human Services Alison King conduct a press conference announcing the
2024 Homeless Point In Time Count results on May 8, 2024.

Long Beach, CA - Findings of the 2024 Homeless Point in Time Count reveal that Long Beach identified 3,376 people experiencing homelessness in January 2024, compared with 3,447 people in 2023. This number signifies a 2.1% decrease from last year-the first time the City has reported an overall decrease in homelessness since 2017.

"I am very encouraged by the 2024 Homeless Point in Time Count numbers," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "For the first time in seven years, we are reporting a drop in overall homelessness, including a nearly 50% reduction in youth homelessness. It's clear that the work the City has done in addressing homelessness is beginning to turn the tide. These numbers let us know we are on the right track and must continue on in the work."

After the homeless population in Long Beach jumped significantly following the COVID-19 pandemic, the City proclaimed a local emergency to strengthen the City's preparedness and ability to respond. The emergency, which was in place from Jan. 10, 2023, through Feb. 28, 2024, put into place policies and programs that provided immediate assistance and laid the groundwork for positive long-term outcomes.

Above: This figure illustrates the percentage increase or decrease in homelessness from 2017 onwards.

Demographics of People Experiencing Homelessness in Long Beach
In 2024, homelessness among the youngest and oldest populations in Long Beach dropped. Homelessness:

• Decreased by 49.7% for people 18-24 years old
• Decreased by 37% for minors (those under 18)
• Decreased by 1.4% for people 25-34 years old
• Decreased by 9.4% among those ages 55 to 64
• Decreased by 3% among people ages 65 and older

Homelessness increased among 35- to 44-year-olds by 11% and among 45- to 54-year-olds by 6.2%

The number of women experiencing homelessness reduced by 13% while there was a significant increase among people who identified as transgender (39.6%) and gender nonconforming (38%). The number of men experiencing homelessness did not increase or decrease.

Homelessness decreased 35% among Asians/Pacific Islanders and 22% among Latinx people. The number of people who identified as multiracial spiked by 283% and homelessness among Native American/Alaska Native people increased by 95%. White people experiencing homelessness increased by 7.5% and Black people experiencing homelessness dropped by 0.7%.

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness increased by 5% but the number of veterans who were unsheltered dropped by 20%. Through new housing developments at Heritage Gardens and the Cove, 78 more veterans experiencing homelessness will become housed in the coming months.

The most common reasons for becoming homeless were similar to those reported last year. In 2023, the leading causes of homelessness were:

• unemployment/financial issues (38%)
• family issues (29%)
• mental health (17%)
• eviction (17%)
• disability (13%)
• and substance use (12%)

2023 Successes
The road to becoming permanently housed can be a long one and every interaction between Homeless Services staff and people experiencing homelessness presents an opportunity to move that person toward housing stability.

Homeless Services staff increased the number of people reached and the number of people served in 2023.

• In both 2022 and 2023, 173 people per day, on average, visited the Multi-Service Center (MSC). After the Mobile Access Center (MAC) debuted, staff was able to provide service to an additional 1,460 people.
• Outreach teams made 2,477 encampment visits and services were accepted 85.5% of the time.
• The City launched a text information line, which provided real-time information regarding services to people in English or Spanish. A total of 78 alerts were issued to approximately 400 users from April 2023 to April 2024.

In partnership with Los Angeles County, the City purchased and opened a new year-round 85-bed shelter in June 2023 and provided an additional 60 people 48 nights of inclement weather shelter beds at the MSC. Shelter bed capacity continues to grow while occupancy remains high averaging 95% this past year.

Long Beach continues to maximize rental assistance programs through the Housing Authority of Long Beach including the 582 Emergency Housing Vouchers for people experiencing homelessness that reached full utilization last June. Over the past year, 2,479 people have enrolled in interim housing and 942 people have enrolled in permanent housing programs.

The timeline to entitle affordable housing projects dropped to 60 days compared with six to 12 months pre-emergency. In 2023, more than 670 affordable housing units were entitled citywide, including units reserved for older adults, veterans and people formerly experiencing homelessness.

The City also sought ways to better support the mental health of people experiencing homelessness by:

• Expanding mental health clinicians to additional homeless services including field-based mental health and substance use counseling
• Partnering with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to provide health and mental health supports
• Implementing telehealth counseling sessions after business hours
• Expanding mental health services to 5 days/week by partnering with the Black Health Equity Program

Initiatives including the Interdepartmental Team and Community Crisis Response have mobilized to focus on downtown to address violence on or perpetuated by people experiencing homelessness.

Current and Upcoming Initiatives
The City has a number of temporary housing projects in the works, including:

• Project Homekey at 5950 Long Beach Blvd., which will provide 78 units of temporary housing.
• The Youth Shelter and Navigation Center, the City's first-ever permanent shelter facility for youth experiencing homelessness, which will offer 12 temporary shelter beds and supportive services for youth ages 18 to 24.
• And the development of 33 new modular non-congregate shelter units, known as Tiny Homes, to safely house people experiencing homelessness.

A guaranteed income pilot program, which provided $500 a month for 12 months, kicked off in May 2023 with 250 households as part of the Long Beach Recovery Act support for economic recovery. Initial data from program participants indicated they experienced significant rates of housing insecurity. In January 2024, the pilot was extended to 200 additional low-income households with children as a homeless prevention measure.

The Community Development Department, together with The Long Beach Community Investment Company, has continued to ensure the production of new affordable housing units with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. The City recently celebrated the grand opening of Wellspring, which provides 87 new affordable homes in the Cambodia Town community, including 20 units reserved for people formerly experiencing homelessness; and another 156 affordable units are currently under construction. Further, three new projects have recently been proposed, which would provide an additional 207 affordable new units for low-income households.

How to Help
In 2023, the City launched a program to accept donations for items needed by people experiencing homelessness. Since launching those efforts in February 2023, the City has collected more than 37,800 donated items, 25,800 of which have been distributed to people experiencing homelessness and local organizations that provide services and support to people experiencing homelessness.

Donation drop off bins remain available at a variety of locations citywide and are a quick and easy way to donate essential physical items that can make an impact on someone's daily life. Bins are located at all open Long Beach Public Library locations during regular business hours, as well as at the below locations:

• Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach (3635 Long Beach Blvd.), Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Scherer Park Community Center, (4654 Pasadena Ave.), Monday through Friday 3 to 6 p.m.

Additionally, the City hosts quarterly/occasional drive-thru donation events.

People can also be part of the solution by connecting with the City when a person or area is in need of service. Connecting people to the right service is critical to ensure positive outcomes for the entire community, and the City published a guide of who to call when to assist residents.

The full report from the 2024 Homeless Count, along with more detailed information about what the City is doing to help people experiencing homelessness, is available on the City's website.

For more information on the City's efforts to reduce homelessness in Long Beach, people may visit longbeach.gov/homelessness and follow @lbhealthdept and @longbeachcity on social media and follow the hashtag #EveryoneHomeLB.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. 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, the 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 on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Long Beach Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on Instagram, Facebook and X.

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