PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has announced the voting phase for the Youth Power Participatory Budgeting (PB) Long Beach, where Long Beach youth are invited to vote on how to spend public dollars on youth-centered projects. A total of $550,000 will be funded through this process, with awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.

“Young people are at the heart of our city's future, and their voices deserve to be heard in shaping the programs that impact them,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. "I encourage all youth to take advantage of this opportunity, cast their vote and make their voices count."

Voting will take place from April 8-23. Youth ages 12 to 26 who live, work or play in Long Beach are encouraged to share their voices by voting at one of the following sites during regular business hours:

• Parks, Recreation & Marine Teen Centers:
  • Admiral Kidd Park (2125 Santa Fe Ave.)
  • Cesar Chavez Park (401 Golden Ave.)
  • Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
  • McBride Park (1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.)
  • Silverado Park (1545 W. 31st St.)

• Long Beach Public Libraries:
  • Billie Jean King Main Library (200 W. Broadway)
  • Burnett Neighborhood Library (560 E. Hill St.)
  • Dana Neighborhood Library (3680 Atlantic Ave.)
  • El Dorado Neighborhood Library (2900 Studebaker Rd)
  • Harte Neighborhood Library (1595 W. Willow St.)
  • Mark Twain Neighborhood Library (1401 E Anaheim St.)
  • Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library (5870 Atlantic Ave.)

• Economic Development Department’s Long Beach Workforce Innovation Network Youth Career Services Center (508 W. Williow St.)
• Ron Arias Health Equity Center (6335 Myrtle Ave.) 
• Youth Movement and Education Center (2217 E 6th St.)
• Long Beach Unified School District Wellness Centers in all high schools and middle schools

Additionally, the City will host a voter fair at the Long Beach Civic Center (411 W. Ocean Blvd.) from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, providing Long Beach youth with an opportunity to engage in the civic process at the heart of local government. During this event, youth can talk to community organizations who have projects on the ballot and learn more about them before they cast their vote. Youth voters will also have the opportunity to learn about summer programs, connect to local resources and enjoy food, entertainment and other activities.

Earlier this year, the City announced the third year of the Youth Power PB Long Beach program. Last year’s program included 43 project ideas submitted, with 13 selected by youth budget delegates and placed on the ballot. A voter fair was held at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and voting locations were set up at high schools, teen centers and public libraries throughout the voting phase. The nine programs prioritized by youth voters focused on community care, housing, health and wellness, planning for the future, and transportation– aligning with five of the six goals in the Long Beach Youth & Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. For more information about projects funded in 2024, visit longbeach.gov/youth.

Youth Power PB Long Beach, the first citywide participatory budget process, funds projects by community organizations who are doing work aligned with the Youth & Emerging Adults Strategic Plan. Participatory budgeting is a democratization of public dollars empowering young residents to delegate how public dollars are spent. Funding for the Youth Power PB Long Beach program is provided by Measure US and Racial Reconciliation Funding. The program is organized by the Health Department’s Office of Youth Development, in partnership with The Nonprofit Partnership (TNP), Invest in Youth Coalition anchored by Khmer Girls in Action, and California State University, Long Beach. To learn more about the Youth Power PB process and find additional voting sites, visit investinyouthlb.org.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Long Beach Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on Instagram, Facebook and X.