Emergency Proclamation to Address Homelessness
Update 14
City Council Meeting – Aug 08, 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 Actions Taken in the Past Four Weeks
4 Progress on Goals
Increase access to services
• The Mobile Access Center (MAC)
schedule for August was released and
will operate Monday through Friday
with varied hours and locations
(https://longbeach.gov/homelessness/
homeless-services/)
• Staff continue to provide case
management services at the
Queensway Safe Parking program
Monday through Friday from 5-8pm
5 Progress on Goals
Increase access to services (cont.)
• Hosted the fifth Donation Drive on July 29 at the Health Department for the Multi Service Center (MSC) with more than 2,000 items donated.
• Convened a subgroup of the Interdepartmental Team to
address the specific needs for outreach and cleanup around Lincoln Park and the Billie Jean King Library.
• Increased outreach with the Interdepartmental team to the downtown area, focusing on various cleanups and outreach with LA County Public Works.
• Initiated more frequent and focused outreach and
engagement at Houghton Park.
6 Progress on Goals
Engage Community in data, planning and assistance
• Refreshed data on Homelessness Emergency Dashboard on August 3rd. • Continuing to collect data focused on coordinated outreach and participation of other agencies through the Interdepartmental team.
• Joined the Community Solutions Built For Zero movement. The City will focus on decreasing chronic homelessness and working towardsa functional end to chronic homelessness.
• Updated the City’s Resource Guide and worked to categorize the areas of focus for the Community Champions through the Community Engagement and Community Outreach workgroups.
• LA River emergency action cleanup began from Ocean to PCH on August 1. 7 Progress on Goals
Build capacity to address homelessness crisis
• Continued to research strategies and recommendations for homelessness prevention policies and programs through the Intergovernmental Workgroup. • Received commitment from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to fund supportive services if Long Beach is awarded additional rental assistance through the annual Continuum of Care competition.
• Additional reassignment staff have been recruited for the 2nd Mobile Access Center (MAC).
• Awarded $1.25 million through the Office of Senator Lena Gonzalez for homeless prevention efforts.
8 Progress on Goals
Build capacity to address homelessness crisis (cont.)
• The Long Beach Housing Authority issued its first of 78 stability vouchers. • The City has begun the matching households to the project-based vouchers for 4 development projects that will open this year. The 4 projects will bring an additional 322 units of affordable housing to Long Beach with around 200 of those units being matched to people who are currently experiencing homelessness.
Sites include
• Wellspring (Anaheim and Walnut) – estimated completion is September 23. • 40 Total Units – 20 Family, 20 Formerly Homeless Seniors, 20 Extremely Low-Income Families
• Heritage Gardens - 901 – 945 E PCH
• 34 Units Total – 18 VASH and 16 Senior
• 26 Point 2 - 3590 East PCH
• 77 Units Total - 76 Studio units for Special Needs/Formerly Homeless PSH • The Cove – 900 River Ave.
• 90 Units - 60 VASH and 30 LACDA
9 Focus Areas for the Next Four Weeks
10 Focus For Next Four Weeks
Increase access to services
• Launch the second Mobile Access Center (MAC) by mid to late August. • Continue partnership conversations with Health Services Los Angeles County and Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority.
• Continue to provide case management services at the Queensway Safe Parking program Monday through Friday from 5-8 pm.
• Continue working to update the Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher List. • Coordinate outreach to RV's in the West Side businesses areas near the LA River and the Magnolia Industrial Group (MIG).
• Initiate outreach and engagement after hours at Lincoln Park on August 16. 11 Focus For Next Four Weeks
Engage Community in Data, Planning and Assistance
• Complete and launch a timeline of the emergency to be posted on the website to further educate people to the work of the emergency.
• Launch an initiative to better support water access during hot weather for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Initiative will work to provide water to community volunteers to distribute.
• Finalize an infographic document on who to contact for support when seeing someone experiencing homelessness.
12 Focus For Next Four Weeks
Build Capacity to Address the Homelessness Crisis
• Convene a larger meeting in October to connect and brainstorm with Community Champions who are supporting homeless related services across the City. • Finalize Luxury Inn outreach and data collection plan; initiate outreach. • Continue evaluating Port of Long Beach and other properties that can support additional homelessness services.
• Continue to work to commence construction activities on City-led capital improvements at the Multi-Service Center (Tiny Homes), Navigation Center, Best Western, and Luxury Inn.
• Continue researching policies related to preventing homelessness, coordinating with the appropriate subject matter experts, and drafting policy considerations. 13 Focus For Next Four Weeks
on Goals and Metrics
Increase Interim and Long-term Housing Access
• Finalize contracts with Rescue Mission for the 702 W. Anaheim Site for the long- term interim shelter.
• Homeless Services Bureau will be completing the annual renewal of Continuum of Care projects as well as identifying new projects to include within the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
14 Data Updates
15 Data
16 2023 Homeless Count Comparison
California Region 2022 Count 2023 Count Difference
# %
Long Beach CoC: 3,296 3,447 +151 +4.6
Los Angeles County: 69,144 75,518 +6,374 +9.2
Northern California CoCs (9): 20,969 20,370 -599 -2.9
Central California CoCs (4): 4,087 4,431 +344 +8.4
Southern California CoCs (11): 91,090 101,281 +10,191 +11.2 Total (24): 116,146 126,082 +9,936 +8.6
• Looking at the service areas adjacent to Long Beach the South Bay saw an increase of 2,031 (+46%) people experiencing homelessness and East Los Angeles saw an increase of 1,730 (+36%) people experiencing homelessness
Data
17 MAC Engaged: 275
MAC Services Accepted: 173
MAC Enrollments: 72
Outreach Requests: 416
Outreach Contacts: 317
Permanent Housing
Program Enrollments:
57 Multi Service Center:
3,432 Interactions
Food and Drink 998
Case Management 988
Shelter Referral 565
ID Voucher 530
Mail Services 324
Street Outreach Top 5 Services
Case Management 258
ID Voucher 145
Food and Drink 137
Mail Services 81
Notry Service: Birth Certificate 58
MAC Top 5 Services
• In working to better define what accepted services
means, outreach and the MAC have improved data
tracking around services.
Data
18 • Data demonstrate a rise in families becoming homeless since mid-2022, with a significant increase as eviction moratoriums ended earlier this year. * Family data is total number of person within all households New Family Enrollees
Month 2023 2022 2021 2020
Jan 92 18 23 49
Feb 57 17 24 38
Mar 166 15 18 37
Apr 89 30 14 13
May 86 31 33 24
Jun 98 23 26 23
Jul 66 52 22 48
Aug 50 15 57
Sep 42 15 56
Oct 41 28 39
Nov 56 17 34
Dec 61 17 51
Thank you
19 Kelly Colopy, Health and Human
Services Director
Teresa Chandler, Deputy City
Manager