For the first time since 2017, Long Beach has reported a decrease in homelessness through its annual Point in Time Count, city officials announced Wednesday. Long Beach identified 3,376 people experiencing homelessness during that week, a 2.1% decrease citywide.
City workers and volunteers trekked through streets, shelters and public spaces during the last week of January 2024 to conduct the count, which is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This year is the first Point in Time Count since Long Beach City Council enacted a local emergency proclamation due to homelessness from January 2023 through February 2024.
“This is a real testament to our Health Department and all our City departments who have really taken a deep dive into this work,” said Deputy City Manager Theresa Chandler. “We’ve certainly begun to turn the tide, but this is certainly not a victory lap … There is still a lot of work to be done.”
The City identified 2,455 homeless individuals living with no shelter, or 72.7% of those identified during the PIT Count. More than half (53%) of the people who were homeless told the City this was their first time experiencing homelessness.
Certain age groups saw larger drops in homelessness in Long Beach, according to the Point in Time Count:
- Youth ages 18 and under: saw a 37% decrease in homelessness
- People ages 18 through 24: saw a 49.7% decrease in homelessness
- People ages 55 though 64: saw a 9.4% decrease in homelessness
- People ages 65 and older: saw a 3% decrease in homelessness
Those who were ages 45 through 54 made up the largest group of homeless individuals during the PIT Count, with 776 individuals identified as experiencing homelessness. People ages 35 through 44 made up the second largest age group, with 761 people experiencing homelessness.
The city found 80 people who are Native American experiencing homelessness, nearly double the amount from last year, according to the Point In Time report.
Seniors accounted for the next two largest groups of homeless people in Long Beach, with 734 individuals between the ages of 55 through 64 experiencing homelessness and 511 seniors over the age of 65 experiencing homelessness.
Mayor Rex Richardson said during a press conference Wednesday that the City is taking the most effective measures from the emergency proclamation and using those methods to create a five-year plan to end homelessness.
“We have to maintain our focus,” he said. “Now is not the time to switch strategies; now is the time to double down on the results we’ve seen and continue to make a difference.”
The Black community still accounted for the largest group of those experiencing homelessness, with just a 0.7% decrease over a year with 1,112 people identified. The City identified 945 Latinx people who were experiencing homelessness, showing a 22% decrease over the last year.
White people saw a slight increase in homelessness in Long Beach, rising by 0.7% with 802 individuals identified. The city found 80 people who are Native American experiencing homelessness, nearly double the amount from last year, and 101 Asian Americans experiencing homelessness, a 34% decrease.
Most of the people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach identified as male (2,240), while around a third (1,008) of the people identified as female, 67 people identified as transgender (1.9%) and 62 identified as gender-nonconforming (1.8%).
Of the people who identified as homeless, 50.5% said they had been homeless for a year or longer, with 367 people living with shelter during that time and 1,338 people with no shelter for that duration.
The veteran population saw a 5.2% increase in homelessness over the last year, with 380 veterans identified; 201 with shelter and 179 with no shelter. Long Beach saw a 3.5% decrease in LGBTQ individuals experiencing homelessness, and a 0.8% decrease among students.
Richardson also highlighted new affordable housing developments in Long Beach built over the past year, and many on the horizon. An affordable housing development in Cambodia Town named Wellspring recently opened with 87 units, 20 of those reserved for people who previously experienced homelessness.
Richardson said that in 2024, 2,934 housing units were approved in Long Beach, with 1,011 housing units already under construction, including 671 Accessory Dwelling Units.
Long Beach conducted interviews with each person in the Point in Time Count and identified the reasons people became homeless:
- 37.1% of people said they became homeless due to unemployment or financial hardship, a 6% increase from 2023
- 29.1% of people said they became homeless due to a family disruption or relationship
- 16.5% of people said they became homeless due to eviction
- 16.3% of people said they became homeless due to mental health issues
- 12% of people said they became homeless due to disability
- 8.5% of people said they became homeless due to substance abuse
Residents can read the full results of Long Beach’s Point in Time Count at longbeach.gov/homelessness/annual-homeless-count/.
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