Long Beach
Office of the Mayor

LONG BEACH, CA — In a unanimous vote today, the Long Beach City Council affirmed their support for CA Proposition 1 on the March 2024 ballot. This decision reflects Mayor Rex Richardson's commitment to expanding access to quality mental health care and addressing the issues of homelessness and mental illness.

“We need bold change and new tools to address the dual crises of mental health and homelessness in our communities,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “Proposition 1 will make a real difference by providing better treatment and investing in behavioral health infrastructure in Long Beach and across California.”

In 2023, the Long Beach City Council approved the Long Beach Mental Health Strategic Plan, placing a focus on increasing local capacity to address mental health challenges in the community.

Additionally, Mayor Richardson joined a bipartisan coalition of mayors from California’s 13 largest cities in urging Governor Newsom to advance reforms to the CA Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) – reforms that would generate millions in state funding for cities and counties to provide new housing and services for people experiencing chronic and often untreated mental health conditions.

Proposition 1 will allocate $4.4 billion to increase the number of treatment beds and sites, with $1.5 billion in dedicated funding going to local governments, including cities, for additional mental health facilities. This will give Long Beach’s Health Department the tools and resources to broaden access to more localized mental health care services, a power that previous MHSA allocations have left solely to LA County.

Proposition 1 will also provide $2 billion for mental health housing and reprioritize the allocation of MHSA expenditures to focus on full-service partnerships and meaningful housing support. This will enable a more comprehensive approach to mental health service delivery that commits to the proven housing first model, understands substance use disorders as a treatable mental health condition, and focuses on addressing the root causes of the mental health and homelessness challenges impacting Long Beach and cities across California.

For more information on Proposition 1, click here.

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Rex Richardson is a husband, father, and the 29th Mayor of Long Beach, California. Mayor Richardson’s history in Long Beach is grounded in empowering communities to have a seat at the table.

Mayor Richardson has a distinguished record of public service. He serves on the Advisory Board of the United States Conference of Mayors and, regionally, is Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency. Richardson has previously served as President of the Southern California Association of Governments.
Mayor Richardson and his wife, Dr. Nina Richardson, are proudly raising their two young daughters, Alina and Mila, in the North Long Beach community.