Following the Grants Pass v. Johnson Supreme Court ruling last summer, which meant that local governments can cite or arrest people sleeping or camping in public spaces regardless of shelter availability, housing and homelessness advocates across the country waited to see what their cities would do.
Though a longtime believer in a “services-first” approach, Long Beach announced in August 2024 that it would shift its strategy, giving the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) discretion to cite or arrest those violating the anti-camping ordinance. A recent memo states that people experiencing homelessness are still offered services multiple times before enforcement is taken, but these services often are offered during encampment sweeps.
“We lead with services and we know that’s the best way to get people housed, but we want to make sure that we have these additional tools available to us,” said City Manager Tom Modica.
Deputy City Manager Theresa Chandler noted that challenges to these efforts include a need for staffing, shelter and affordable housing, as well as uncertainty in regional, state and federal policy and funding. Multiple City department representatives noted they’ve been working more closely across departments over the past year.
“Our goal is not to just clear spaces, but to resolve encampments through connections to services and housing while maintaining safe, accessible public areas to everybody in the city,” Chandler added.
The city used a targeted, interdepartmental approach to implement its new tools of enforcement, focusing on what Mayor Rex Richardson called “chronic encampments” at four public spaces. On Tuesday night, representatives from multiple City departments including the LBPD, Homeless Services Bureau, City Manager’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office revealed data on how this new approach has been working.
City staff said they only utilize the anti-camping ordinance “when there is a threat to public health or safety.”
Breaking Down the Numbers
Between June 2024 and February 2025, LBPD has issued 346 citations for camping or loitering after hours in parks or beaches. Of these citations, 161 were issued in “priority areas” and the other 185 were issued in other parts of the city.
“The issuance of a citation creates another opportunity to connect people with services through diversion programs offered by the City Prosecutor’s Office,” an LBPD representative said at the city council meeting.
Since June 2024, the City has enrolled 416 people into permanent housing programs, and 1,442 people in emergency or transitional housing. An enrollment into permanent housing does not necessarily mean immediate housing, said Homeless Services Bureau Executive Director Paul Duncan. Instead, people receive a voucher for places that accept them, but still have to apply to housing and be accepted.
Enrollment numbers into transitional housing means the person moved into a bed at a shelter, and in many cases this is only for one night. Duncan emphasized that long lasting improvements solving homelessness come from housing resources such as motel renovations, shelters and housing vouchers.
Since July 2024, Public Works has conducted 2,019 encampment sweeps, while the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department (PRM) conducted 359 sweeps as of February, according to data reported by the City.
The Public Works and Parks, Recreation and Marine Departments are in charge of waste disposal and sanitation following a sweep. The departments recorded a total of 834 tons of garbage from these sweeps. The sweeps are coordinated by the Health Department, Police Department and other “relevant” City and regional partners.
Priority Areas
For the past years, encampments that “significantly and consistently obstruct public spaces” such as parks, sidewalks, libraries, beaches, or transit areas and those adjacent to playgrounds or youth facilities have been the City’s top priority. Other factors are reports of fires, disease, violence or the environment. Large encampments are also prioritized, City staff said.
These spaces receive “intensified outreach,” “trust-building” and more offers of shelter and resources tailored to the residents’ needs and advanced notice if the space is going to be cleared.
Priority areas include:
- Billie Jean King Main Library
- Lincoln Park
- Veterans Park
- Gumbiner Park
- Jenni Rivera Memorial Park
- NAACP Park
Each area has its own service plan based on what resources they see are most needed after doing outreach.
BJK Library and Lincoln Park
Homeless Service Bureau staff and LBPD Quality of Life officers conduct outreach twice a week, as well as evening outreach workers once a week, the Mobile Access Center once a week and a Library Outreach Worker three times a week.
The library terrace is power washed daily, and there are encampment sweeps twice a week in Lincoln Park. Through a $5.3 million grant, the City leased a 60-room motel in Downtown Long Beach to provide immediate shelter if needed. Roughly 90 people have been sheltered through this motel, as well as 173 people enrolled into alternative emergency housing and 27 people moved into permanent housing, Duncan said.
The city has conducted 47 encampment sweeps within the Billie Jean King Main LIbrary and Lincoln Park space.
Enforcement numbers, as reported by LBPD are as follows:
- 381 calls for service at Lincoln Park (including officer-initiated)
- 208 calls for service at BJK Library (including officer-initiated)
- 41 citations or arrests for “quality of life issues” at Lincoln Park
- Including 20 for camping or loitering after hours
- 32 citations or arrests for “quality of life issues” at BJK LIbrary
- Including 14 for camping or loitering after hours
Veterans Park
Homeless Services Bureau staff and LBPD Quality of Life officers conduct outreach once a week, and the Mobile Access Center is there once a week. PRM conducts sweeps twice a week. Through a partnership with the Pathways Home program, the City moved 19 people into a motel room and enrolled them into permanent housing services.
- Housing and sweeps
- 22 people have been enrolled in emergency shelter
- 27 people have been moved into permanent housing
- 42 encampment sweeps have been conducted
- Enforcement numbers, as reported by LBPD
- 413 calls for service (including those officer-initiated)
- 81 citations or arrests for “quality of life” issues
- 65 of these were for camping or loitering after hours
Gumbiner Park
Homeless Services Bureau staff and LBPD Quality of Life officers conduct outreach once a week, and the Mobile Access Center is there once a week. PRM conducts sweeps twice a week.
- Housing and sweeps
- 17 people moved into emergency shelter
- 4 people moved into permanent housing
- 17 encampment sweeps have been conducted
- Enforcement numbers, as reported by LBPD
- 130 calls for service (including those officer-initiated)
- 46 citations for “quality of life” issues
- 44 of these were for camping or loitering after hours
Jenni Rivera Memorial Park and NAACP Park
Homeless Services Bureau staff and LBPD Quality of Life officers conduct outreach two to three times a week, and the Mobile Access Center is there once a week. PRM conducts sweeps twice per week. Signal Hill also assisted efforts with this location.
- Housing and Sweeps
- 7 people added to the shelter or permanent housing queue
- 7 people enrolled in emergency shelter
- 1 person enrolled in rapid rehousing
- 3 people entered permanent housing
- 10 people enrolled in LA County’s Pathway Home program
- 35 encampment sweeps have been conducted
- Enforcement numbers, as reported by LBPD
- 169 calls for service (including those officer-initiated)
- 26 citations or arrests for “quality of life” issues
- 18 of these were for camping or loitering after hours
Since encampments have been reduced at the priority areas, Chandler said the City is moving into the “maintenance” phase of these parks, to ensure they remain accessible. They are also looking into adding more priority areas
Long term next steps include investing in more shelters, supportive services and affordable permanent housing. This summer the City will launch round three of its LA River Encampment Resolution Funding Program, where it will use $11 million in state grants to conduct outreach and move people living along the LA Riverbed into shelter with connections to permanent housing.
Shelter projects that are currently being constructed or renovated include:
- Upgrades to Homekey at 1725 Long Beach Boulevard, expected to be complete in spring 2025
- A youth shelter and navigation center, expected to be complete in summer 2025
- Homekey at 5950 Long Beach Boulevard, expected to be complete in fall 2025
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You must transition first to temporary housing — even if it’s a tent city or other type of quick remedy that can accommodate people on the street who want to commit to the housing program that Long Beach is offering. Yes – they must commit to criteria. If they don’t want to, then move them along to some other location that can offer them an alternative arrangement and take down the encampment. Stop trying to appease on an individual basis. Offer a Long Beach program and make them commit to the arrangement. If they don’t want to, then tell them they need to leave. If you do not get more strategic and directed, this will never end!