Long Beach
Office of the Mayor

LONG BEACH, CA — Wrapping up a strong start to a historic first term, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson published today a report highlighting key objectives the City of Long Beach has achieved since Richardson gave a State of the City address earlier this year and announced his Opportunity Beach Agenda.

Thursday, April 20^th marked the 100^th day since the Mayor’s announcement of the 100-Day plan. His Agenda focuses on five key areas: ensuring quality and stable housing for all, building an economy where everyone thrives, creating safe and healthy communities, expanding opportunities for youth to succeed, and supporting a sustainable and resilient city.

“In just 100 days, we brought our city together around a spirit of unity to overcome our greatest challenges. We have made meaningful strides towards building our capacity to address homelessness, shaping our economy of the future, and opening the doors of opportunity for all,’’ said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We hit the ground running, and best is yet to come as we continue building a city where everyone can thrive.”

Since taking office, Mayor Richardson has advanced his plans for Long Beach. On his first official day, he called for a citywide state of emergency on homelessness. After the declaration of emergency was ratified by the City Council, the City delivered meaningful progress on addressing big challenges. Under Richardson’s leadership, the City of Long Beach:

1. Secured $22 million in new funding to expand shelter, housing, and services
2. Enrolled (since January 10):
1. 721 people in interim housing programs
2. 348 people in homelessness prevention programs
3. 137 people in permanent housing programs
3. Approved 253 additional temporary shelter beds and interim units
4. Deployed a brand-new Mobile Access Center that connected 460 people to services
5. Launched a Housing Voucher Incentive Program and a City Voucher Assistance Team to help house low-income tenants seeking stability
6. Hosted seven homelessness strategy community focus groups that engaged 84 residents 
7. Opened a safe overnight parking lot and a sanitation site for people living in vehicles
8. Launched a data dashboard to improve transparency on the City’s response efforts

Building an economy where everyone thrives is a central tenet of Mayor Richardson’s administration, and a major driver behind the actions he took to boost the local economy. Under the Mayor’s leadership, the City:

1. Initiated Launch Beach, a cross-sector partnership to support 100 local startups over five years, which was boosted by a $25 million commitment to the Strategic Growth Fund by members of the Long Beach Coalition
2. Launched the Grow Long Beach Initiative to support the City’s key growth industries
3. Convened six roundtable meetings that engaged 115 industry leaders across five growth sectors:
1. Education
2. Arts, Entertainment & Hospitality
3. Aerospace & Aviation
4. Port & Logistics
5. Healthcare
4. Held ten ‘100 Businesses in 100 Days’ tour visits that engaged more than 270 local businesses
5. Passed a directive to create a Long Beach Legacy Business Program
6. Reopened the Queen Mary to the public for the first time in three years
7. Launched a $1.5 million Natural Gas Price Spike Relief Program to support low-income families
8. Announced $350,000 in grant funds through the Visual Improvement (VIP) Grants program to support local businesses impacted by crime and vandalism
9. Signed the California Equal Pay Pledge to ensure gender pay equity within city jobs

The Opportunity Beach Agenda also emphasizes creating safe and healthy communities—a top priority shared by residents across the City. To address the needs expressed by residents, the City:

1. Doubled the size of LBPD’s Quality of Life Teams for homeless outreach
2. Planned the first Neighborhood Empowerment Summit in more than a decade
3. Implemented policy that removed barriers to serving on City Commissions, allowing all residents to apply and serve
4. Secured $200,000 in grants for neighborhood clean-ups and summer block parties

Richardson’s long-term priority for Long Beach is to build a sustainable and resilient city, with climate-friendliness at the forefront. To accelerate the City’s preparations for the future, his administration:

1. Initiated the Open Space Element update process through the Parks and Recreations Commission
2. Called on the Port of Long Beach to:
1. Create 100 new public charging stations by 2026
2. Double the clean truck rate to $20 per container
3. Launch a $10 million truck electrification fund for small local operators

Supporting Long Beach’s youth is a crucial part of building a thriving city. Mayor Richardson has announced the Inaugural Youth Advocacy Day, which will take place on June 24^th. The event provides an important opportunity for young people from all over Long Beach to speak their minds directly to the City’s elected leaders about their priorities and vision for the future of the city they call home.

To view the report, visit: http://www.LongBeach.gov/Mayor

Video Link: https://youtu.be/AIohapLnl0g

View as a PDF

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About Mayor Richardson: Rex Richardson is a devoted husband, proud father, and the 29th Mayor of Long Beach.

Mayor Richardson’s history in Long Beach is rooted in empowering communities to have a voice at the table. He is a firm believer that every person, no matter their circumstances, deserves the chance to succeed.

His mission is to transform the culture of City Hall by making it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of all Long Beach neighborhoods, businesses, and families. His eye is focused on creating a more equitable future for all.