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 the City to have specific data on how many rehabilitation, medical detox, and sobriety beds there are, because addiction continues to be a major issue for our current homeless population.
When asked "how many rehabilitation and detox beds are needed to adequately manage the need in Long Beach," the City Health and Human Services Department replied December 18, 2017 explaining that the data to determine the level of need for detox and substance use treatment for homeless individuals was incomplete." However, with the lack of certainty, and likely small number of beds available in the City causing our law enforcement officers to be less able to enforce ordinance violations, an audit should be conducted of number, and types of beds for those experiencing homelessness and/or in need of treatment.
As we know there are limited numbers of these type of beds for those in need, therefore it would be further useful for the City to evaluate the feasibility of developing incentives for private and non-profit groups to establish addiction related rehabilitation and detox beds in Long Beach with the expectation that priority would be given to those in need of these services who have been referred to them by the Long Beach Police Department or other Long Beach City entity.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact as a result of the recommended action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
SUZIE PRICE
COUNCILWOMAN, THIRD DISTRICT
JEANNINE PEARCE
COUNCILMEMBER, SECOND DISTRICT
DARYL SUPERNAW
COUNCILMEMBER, FOURTH DISTRICT