TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to provide a report within 60 days on the number of private, non-profit, and public shelter beds that exist in Long Beach. Also include in the report, the number of rehab, medical detox, sobriety, and other addiction related beds available in Long Beach and the surrounding area. As well as include an estimate of how many of these types of beds would be necessary to best serve the Long Beach homeless and those suffering from addiction.
Additionally, include a report on the feasibility of the City providing incentives to create additional homeless ness and addiction related beds, including medical detox beds in the City of Long Beach.
DISCUSSION
Homelessness continues to be the number one issue concerning Long Beach residents. In a city where there is so much progress and opportunity is being generated every day the fact that there are those still struggling with homelessness is an issue that more attention is always needed on. The City of Long beach does a tremendous amount of work to help those in need through city operated services, as well as by partnering with other organizations and nonprofits.
However, one of the most difficult parts of addressing homelessness is the availability of shelter beds that serve to help get those in need off the streets. As winter is approaching, and the City of Long Beach will again be opening our winter homeless shelter now seems like an appropriate time to further discuss the availability of beds, as well as opportunities to plan for and incentivize increasing this number.
If we as a city are to improve our ability to provide shelter for those in need we must be able to know exactly how many beds there are in the City that are available for Long Beach residents struggling with homelessness. In addition to assessing the number of city operated, privately operated, and non-profit operated beds in the City that are available for sheltering the homeless, it is also important for...
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