At the Feb. 7, 2023, meeting, the Long Beach City Council approved with a 6 to 3 vote the allocation of $13 million in one-time funds from Fiscal Year 2022 year-end results, to support the City’s emergency response to homelessness and various associated priority projects across multiple departments.
“This additional funding will allow us to expand existing services and implement new initiatives to further support our unhoused residents, connect them with necessary services and pathways to permanent housing,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We are dedicated to going ‘all in.’ I thank the City Council for their support of this funding.”
The action comes as a result of a presentation by the Department of Financial Management regarding the Fiscal Year 2022 Year-End Budget Performance Report and the recommendation to increase appropriations in several funds across several departments.
Council-approved uses of these one-time funds include:
- $5.2 million in additional budgetary General Funds to support the City’s homelessness emergency response, including but not limited to programs, cleanups, staffing, equipment, sheltering and other efforts.
- $2 million in additional budgetary Tidelands Funds allotted to the Department of Public Works to support homelessness related response projects within the Tidelands areas.
- $4 million from Measure A surplus funds allotted to the Department of Public Works to support homelessness related infrastructure projects, including improving or creating shelter space and other related projects.
- $1.8 million from Measure A surplus funds to complete the design and completely rehabilitate an existing building for the Health Department’s Navigation Center for people experiencing homelessness.
Further details on the specific projects that will utilize the above funding will shared, once determined.
For more information on the City’s efforts to reduce homelessness in Long Beach, people may visit longbeach.gov/homelessness and follow @lbhealthdept and @longbeachcity on social media and follow the hashtag #EveryoneHomeLB.