Emergency Proclamation to Address Homelessness
Update 7
City Council Meeting – April 18, 2023
Mission Statement
To reduce the number of persons experiencing homelessness in the City and the region by increasing housing opportunities and by enhancing current initiatives that provide field-based outreach, engagement, and supportive services while maintaining the safety and security of the people experiencing homelessness, the general public and staff, and improving overall public safety for the entire community.
2 Homelessness Strategic Plan
• The Statement of Possibility from the
Everyone Home Homelessness Strategic
Plan continues to define success in Long
Beach in its mission to end homelessness.
• Statement of Possibility: The experience of
homelessness in Long Beach is rare and
brief when it occurs.
3 Homelessness Emergency Metrics
4 Homelessness Emergency Metrics
• Decrease number of persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness • 437 currently enrolled in interim housing programs
• 16,494 bed nights in interim housing
• Increase permanent housing placements
• 137 currently enrolled in permanent housing programs
• Increase starts on new affordable housing options
• 172 units entitled
• Increase temporary and permanent housing units
o 112 units of interim housing by end of year
o 88 permanent housing units completed in within 6 months o 239 permanent housing units completed within 24 months 5 Homelessness Emergency Metrics
• Decrease number of persons falling into homelessness
o 260 households/$2.56 million for emergency rental assistance since emergency proclamation
o Nearly 2,000 served by Right to Counsel up to 9/22
o 340 people have participated in the Homeless Prevention Program o 70 currently in program; 93% remain housed
o 6,722 households supported through subsidized housing • Increase intergovernmental (regional) partnerships to address the homeless crisis o 19 meetings held with partners
o 18 letters sent
o 37 agencies/offices engaged
6 Actions Taken in the Past Two Weeks
7 Progress on Goals and Metrics
Increase access to services
• Enrollment more than 240 individuals in the Text
Alert Program to connect people experiencing
homelessness to resources and services, those
interested can text keyword “HOME” to 99411 to
receive updates
• Opened Sanitation and Water Filling Site for
Recreational Vehicles with weekday hours of 9am
– 4pm
• Received 127 Visual Improvement Program (VIP)
applications so far
8 Mobile Access Center:
882 Interactions
460 Engaged in Services
Safe Parking:
972 Vehicle Nights
Avg 10 vehicles per night
Multi Service Center:
10,896 Visits
Avg 195 people per day
Quality of Life Contacts:
2848
Clean Team Clean-ups:
960
Progress on Goals and Metrics
Engage Community in data, planning and assistance
• Added Prevention Program data to the
Homelessness Dashboard as well as refreshed data
on April 6, 2023
• Completed Mayor’s Community Roundtables
• Launched form for community organizations to
request donated items to disseminate. This can be
found at longbeach.gov/homelessness on the
Volunteer, Donate or Get Involved tab.
• Launched a new column, People First: Voices of
Homelessness, on the City’s insideLB blog
9 Dashboard Elements:
57 Data Points
Outreach Events:
15 Events
Donated Items:
8,503 items
424 items distributed
Donations:
13 Sites
Progress on Goals and Metrics
Build capacity to address homelessness crisis
• Met with Long Beach Transit to discuss was to
support homelessness emergency
• Met with Office of Mayor Karen Bass and City of Los
Angeles to discuss partnership opportunities
• Sent letter to federal leadership regarding the City’s priorities to address the emergency
• Engaged with consultants to identify grants to
support efforts
• Received $5.193M from HUD for services to people
who are unsheltered – including services for families
and individuals.
• Submitted a grant for nearly $21M to LA County
Behavioral Health Bridge Housing funding for
Recuperative Care and Step Down beds for 4 years.
10 Reassigned Staffing:
11,480 Hours
Community Organizations:
56 Signed up
New Grants:
$31M in Applications
$5.2M received
City Staff Reassigned:
146
Progress on Goals and Metrics
Increase interim and long-term housing access
• Hosted community meeting at Drake Park
Community Center to talk about the possibility of
opening a temporary emergency shelter in the
neighborhood and gather feedback
• Announced 702 W. Anaheim as location for new
85+ bed emergency shelter site.
11 Focus Areas for the Next Two Weeks
12 Focus For Next Two Weeks
Increase access to services
• Continue partnership conversations with LA County Department of Health Services and LAHSA
• Increase outreach and education regarding availability of the Safe Parking site and RV Sanitation and Water Filling site.
13 Focus For Next Two Weeks
Engage community in data, planning and assistance
• Plan an Interfaith convening of faith organizations from across the City who are committed to supporting the efforts of not only the emergency response, but ongoing after the emergency has been lifted
• Add data elements for the emergency to the data dashboard – update to launch on May 4
• Host second drive-thru donation event at Main Health Department (2525 Grand Ave.) on April 29th from 9 am to 1 pm
14 Focus For Next Two Weeks
Build capacity to address homelessness crisis
• Continue evaluating potential Airport and Port of Long Beach properties that can support additional homelessness services
• Continue to staff up the Homeless Services Bureau to address case management and public health nursing needs
• Continue to engage LA County on request to support emergency activities 15 Focus For Next Two Weeks
on Goals and Metrics
Increase interim and long-term housing access
• Continue to conduct enhanced engagement with housing providers to boost participation in Emergency Housing Voucher Program
• Host three remaining virtual information sessions for property owners and landlords to educate them on different aspects of the housing voucher process • Open emergency shelter location at 702 W. Anaheim for when the winter shelter program ends at Community Hospital
• Continue evaluating other properties citywide (both public and private) that could be temporarily used or acquired to further support homeless services housing opportunities
16 Thank you
17 Kelly Colopy, Director
Department of Health and Human
Services
Eric Lopez, Director
Department of Public Works