Long Beach, CA – Today the City of Long Beach launched a new Homeless Services and Information Hub webpage, now available at longbeach.gov/homelessness. The webpage was developed in an effort to provide a one-stop-shop of resources and information for the public and to offer a more open and transparent platform regarding homelessness in Long Beach. The webpage serves as a multifaceted information and resource hub for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Long Beach and as a localized platform where all community members can learn more about the City’s efforts to combat the homeless crisis and how to get involved.
“Without a doubt, we are in a time of crisis, with so many people in our city experiencing homelessness,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We must come together as a community, educate ourselves on this complex societal challenge and support each other. This new webpage is a resource hub for everyone – those who need help and those who want to help."
"This platform supports the City’s comprehensive response to combat homelessness in Long Beach,” said City Manager Tom Modica. “The new webpage features an array of critical information for those seeking services and for those interested in offering support of their own.”
The easy-to-navigate webpage is categorized into seven sections for easy readability and organization:
“Homelessness is one of the most important challenges the city faces,” said Kelly Colopy, Director of Health and Human Services. “I encourage everyone to visit longbeach.gov/homelessness to learn more about the work we are doing not only to address homelessness in Long Beach, but also to provide upstream supports to prevent others from falling into homelessness.”
The City's 2022 Homeless Point in Time Count, the first count conducted in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed 3,296 people were identified experiencing homelessness on Feb. 24, 2022. The 2023 Count will take place on Jan. 26, 2023, and is accepting volunteers until all spots are filled.
The City continues to work diligently to address homelessness. The Department of Health and Human Services leads a multi-pronged approach across City departments to prevent homelessness and work to help people into housing while also addressing the community impacts of homelessness. Long Beach is one of only three cities in Los Angeles County to operate its own Continuum of Care, a local planning body funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that coordinates housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.
Every day, staff from the Health Department’s Homeless Services Bureau and its community partners conduct outreach in Long Beach, engaging people who are experiencing homelessness and offering emergency shelter, transportation, access to service providers and opportunities for housing. Homeless Services has also expanded outreach services including its three REACH teams which include outreach workers, a public health nurse and a mental health clinician to engage with people experiencing non-emergency health and mental health concerns and dedicated outreach workers in libraries. The Homeless Services Bureau has also expanded partnerships with providers supporting health, mental health and substance use issues as well as dental services.
About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.
For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
The mission of the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is to improve quality of life by promoting a safe and healthy community in which to live, work and play. Long Beach Health is one of only three city-run health departments in California, which allows for better engagement with residents, neighborhoods, businesses and community partners, and fosters a greater understanding of the City's strengths. For more information, visit us at longbeach.gov/health, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.