People experiencing homelessness and living in their recreational vehicles (RVs) can use a sanitation dump station and water-filling site in Long Beach beginning this week.
The station is set up near Cherry Avenue and 32nd Street and will operate on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to allow residents to properly dispose of sewage and refill their water storage. According to staff reports, there were roughly 100 people identified living in their RVs in Long Beach during the 2022 Point in Time Count.
“The sanitation and water filling stations will fill a critical gap in services for people living in RVs,” said Mayor Rex Richardson in a statement from the City. “Services that support people experiencing homelessness are not a one-size-fits-all [solution]. As we continue to address the issue of homelessness, we will work to identify, address and enhance services that support the diverse needs of our residents.”
The Long Beach Utilities Commission voted to create the RV site in early February, saying it would cost the city less than $200,000. The city has a six-month Revocable Facility Use Permit.
Residents must receive a voucher and a reserved time slot to use the site from the Multi-Service Center. Overnight parking will be prohibited and there will be on-site security and staff to help residents use the services if needed. The City also requests that users of the site do not take up the surrounding street parking when not using the site.
If a person does not follow the rules set by the City multiple times, they will no longer be able to use the site.
“People living in RVs need a safe, easily accessible place to properly dispose of waste and connect to water services,” said Fifth District Councilwoman Megan Kerr in a statement. “District Five is proud to do its part in supporting the citywide effort in connecting more people to essential resources and services.”
Community outreach was conducted within close proximity of the site to ensure residents were notified of the forthcoming operations, according to the City. For more information on the City’s efforts to reduce homelessness in Long Beach, people may visit longbeach.gov/homelessness.
This article was updated on April 9 to clarify that residents can still use the street parking along the site. The City asks that users of the site do not take up street parking when not using the site’s services.
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