Mourners gathered in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Wednesday night to honor the 99 unhoused people who died in Long Beach over the last year.
The candlelight vigil was held one day after Mayor Rex Richardson announced the City’s plan to declare a state of emergency in response to the homelessness crisis.
The Long Beach Homeless Memorial is an annual tradition that was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and returned to Forest Lawn for the first time this year. The memorial is hosted by the Long Beach Homeless Coalition with the support of City workers and local clergy on the longest night of the year, Dec. 21.
Volunteers lined up and took turns at the podium reading off the names of the 99 people who died as a candle was lit for each one. Two additional candles were lit, for two unknown people organizers said died the previous day.
The number of reported deaths among the homeless community increased since the last memorial in 2019, as it rose from 57 to 99.
One of the 99 people who died this year was found deceased in a tent outside of St. Luke Episcopal Church in Long Beach, a place known for constantly having unhoused people camped around the building.
While addressing the crowd Wednesday, Reverend Jane Gould spoke about the plight of the people who camp around St. Luke Episcopal Church in Long Beach.
“What most people know about my church is that it’s usually encamped,” Gould said. “It’s encamped by our neighbors who have nowhere to live. It’s encamped by at least one person who died in his tent this year. For almost 40 years, we’ve been offering showers, food and clothes in the church every Saturday morning. But still, some moments of welcome, of hospitality, of community— it’s not enough. It’s not enough.”
This increase in reported deaths goes hand-in-hand with the rise of people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach.
In 2019, the City of Long Beach’s Homeless Point In Time Count recorded 1,863 unhoused people, compared to 3,296 in 2022.
“I want to be clear, this crisis is not going to be solved overnight. It’s going to require much more than a six or nine-month declaration of emergency. It’s going to require long-term housing solutions. In the end, homelessness is linked to the lack of housing.
Mayor Rex Richardson during his inaugural speech on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
According to Paul Duncan, Homeless Services Manager for the Long Beach Health Department, the average age of the 99 people who died this year was 47, and only 24% died from natural causes. Duncan brought an air of humility to the podium, addressing the shortcomings of both the City’s homeless services and society as a whole when helping those living on the streets.
“People are dying on the street for things that we should have better answers for as a community,” Duncan said. “[…] We’re talking about the failures of our healthcare system. We’re talking about the failures of the homeless service system, which is pretty tough when that’s what you’re charged with leading. So every year hits home. It’s hard to sit with.”
In the face of rising rates of homelessness, Mayor Rex Richardson promised to declare a state of emergency during his inauguration the previous night—an action already taken by Mayor Karen Bass of the City of Los Angeles.
“I want to be clear, this crisis is not going to be solved overnight,” Richardson said during his inaugural speech on Tuesday, Dec. 20. “It’s going to require much more than a six or nine-month declaration of emergency. It’s going to require long-term housing solutions. In the end, homelessness is linked to the lack of housing.
“When housing costs become unaffordable, people can no longer afford rent. They’re pushed out of their homes. The longer people live on the street, the more trust they lose in us, their city, their institutions and society to be able to help.”
Richardson called for a renewed commitment to creating affordable housing over the next four years. He said the City will need the help of businesses, clergy and landlords to address the issue. Richardson stated that 300 families in Long Beach have housing vouchers, but have not been able to find landlords willing to accept them.
City Council will vote on whether to officially declare the state of emergency at its next meeting on Jan. 10.
“Now it’s time for us to […] find new policies, new resources, new partnerships, to build the housing that will not only help those who are homeless, but also our future graduates and our workforce and our children,” Richardson said on Tuesday. “So everyone in our community can have the dignity of a home they can be proud of.”
