May
15, 2023
Hono
rable Mayor and City Council
City of Long Beach
California
Hon
orable Mayor and Council Members;
I am writing on behalf of Long Beach City College (LBCC) to express our support for the May 16, 2023, Resolution R-15 declaring City -owned properties located at 5870 Atlantic Avenue as surplus. On June 24, 2022, LBCC submitted to the City a letter of intent to develop these properties and hereby reiterate our ongoing commitment to serve the North Long Beach Community. Our intent is to develop the North Long Beach Student Housing and Higher Education Complex (the Complex), a 3 -story mixed-use facility that will provide student housing, educational spaces, and wraparound services in one location for LBCC students and community members. LBCC plans to leverage bond funding as well as a recently awarded Community Project grant from Congresswoman Nanette Barragan for this project.
The s
uccess of the Complex will be supported by the current investments LBCC is ma king in North Long Beach.
In summer 2023, the College will open the North Long Beach Higher Education Center, a partnership with the City of Long Beach. The Higher Education Center will serve as a one -stop shop for higher education, offering enrollment and financial aid workshops, academic counseling, tuition -free adult education courses in both ESL and short -term job training , and industry certifications. Free Small Business Development Center services including training and one-on-one advising for local entrepreneurs will also be offered at the Center.
Res
earch has shown that proximity to an educational institution affects a student’s likelihood of study and educational attainment, and that this relationship more adversely affects first -generation and l ow-income students. Therefore, the odds of attending college are increased the closer an institution is located to a student’s home. The Complex, and the Center scheduled to open in summer, will establish a connection to Long Beach City College for residents in North Long Beach and help to address some of these barriers and challenges.
Nor
th Long Beach has a significant low -income population, with more than a fifth of families receiving SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) and 17% of children living in poverty. North Long Beach residents earn 26% less than the county median. These challenges disproportionately impact people of color, with 82% of residents coming from racial and ethnic minority groups.
R15 Corresponsdence- LBCCD
By continuing our existing collaboration with the City, we envision that the Complex will allow us to leverage resources and support for the residents of North Long Beach in a way that empowers their ability to meet their long-term advancement professionally, academically, and economically.
Sincerely,
Mike Muñoz, Ed.D
Superintendent-President
Long Beach Community College District