Long Beach's 2024 homeless count shows decrease in unhoused population for first time in 7 years
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Long Beach's 2024 homeless count showed a reduction of 2.1% compared to 2023, the first time in seven years that the city has reported an overall decrease in homelessness, Mayor Rex Richardson announced Wednesday.
"I am very encouraged by the 2024 Homeless Point-in-Time Count numbers," Richardson said during a news conference Wednesday morning. "For the first time in seven years, we are reporting a drop in overall homelessness, including a nearly 50% reduction in youth homelessness. It's clear that the work the city has done in addressing homelessness is beginning to turn the tide. These numbers let us know we are on the right track and must continue on in the work."
The mayor noted that Long Beach saw a "significant drop" in the oldest and youngest populations falling into homelessness.
Youth ages 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness declined by 49.7%, and minors under the age of 18 experiencing homelessness fell by 37%. For individuals between the ages of 55 and 64, there was a 65% reduction of homelessness.
"So these are two very vulnerable populations -- youth and seniors. This was a major focus for us over the course of the past year and we're proud to see some reductions, some progress in that area," Richardson said.
Homelessness also decreased 35% among Asians/Pacific Islanders and 22% among Latinx people. The number of people who identified as multiracial spiked by 283%, and homelessness among Native American/Alaska Native people increased by 95%. White people experiencing homelessness increased by 7.5% and Black people experiencing homelessness dropped by 0.7%.
The number of veterans experiencing homelessness increased by 5% but the number of veterans who were unsheltered dropped by 20%. Through new housing developments at Heritage Gardens and the Cove, 78 more veterans experiencing homelessness will become housed in the coming months, officials said.
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Overall, homelessness increased by 62% in Long Beach from 2020-22.
Allison King, director of Long Beach's Health and Human Services Department, said the homeless population in the city increased significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city proclaimed a local emergency from Jan. 10, 2023, to Feb. 29, 2024, allowing the implementation of policies and programs to provide immediate assistance to the homeless, she noted.
She said the city reached its 2.1% reduction in homelessness through increased outreach, the purchase of a year-round shelter with 85 beds, bolstering winter shelters and full utilization of emergency housing vouchers. King also highlighted the city's telethealth counseling sessions, a text line for safe parking, and support for businesses and downtown areas.
"In the next year, we will be opening a Project Homekey at 5950 Long Beach Boulevard and tiny homes," King said.
She also extended her gratitude for city workers, departments and volunteers who participated in the 2024 count.
"It truly takes a village and I'm grateful for our wonderful village here in Long Beach," she said.
Richardson said the city has been able to build affordable housing much quicker as a result of new policies to streamline development applications.
Deputy City Manager Teresa Chandler said the reduction in homelessness is a "real testament" to the Health Department's efforts and all city departments -- but added that Wednesday's news was not a "victory lap."
"With more than 3,000 people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, there's still a lot of work to be done," Chandler said.
According to the 2024 count, of the 3,376 homeless people in the city, about 2,455 remained unsheltered, and about 1,705 were reported as chronically homelessness -- individual who've been homeless for six months or more in the past year.
Chandler said they Long Beach has established an Office of Homeless Strategy in partnership with the city manager's office. The new office is intended to oversee and serve as a connecting point of all departments involved in addressing homelessness.
"This new office will be up and running by mid-summer, which is going to align nicely with the update of our strategic plan to address homelessness," she added. "Working though the emergency last year was not easy in any way. But I think it truly has set us up for staying on a road to success."
