City of Long Beach - File #: 23-0018

• File #: 23-0018
• Version: 2
• Name: CA - Emerg Ord Local Emerg Homeless
• Type: Emergency Ordinance
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 1/6/2023
• In control: City Council
• On agenda: 1/10/2023
• Final action: 1/17/2023
• Title: Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Chapters 18.100, 21.69, and 22.35, to temporarily suspend certain provisions of Titles 18, 21 and 22 during the proclaimed local emergency caused by homelessness, declaring the urgency thereof; read and adopted as read. (Citywide) (Emergency Ordinance No. ORD-23-0001)
• Sponsors: City Attorney
• Related files: 23-0017

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
1/17/2023	2	City Council	declare ordinance read and adopted as read	Pass
1/10/2023	1	City Council	approve recommendation to declare an emergency to exist	Pass
1/10/2023	1	City Council	approve recommendation to declare Emergency Ordinance No. ORD- , read, and adopted as read and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading	Pass

TITLE
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by adding Chapters 18.100, 21.69, and 22.35, to temporarily suspend certain provisions of Titles 18, 21 and 22 during the proclaimed local emergency caused by homelessness, declaring the urgency thereof; read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
(Emergency Ordinance No. ORD-23-0001)

DISCUSSION
Pursuant to City Manager’s request, we have prepared the attached Ordinance adding Chapters 18.100, 21.69 and 22.35 to the Long Beach Municipal Code.

In order to protect the public safety, health and welfare, it is imperative for the City to suspend certain provisions of the City of Long Beach Municipal Code Titles 18, 21 and 22 in relation to the City’s building standards code, zoning and transitional zoning code in an effort to combat the crisis of homelessness and affordable housing.

Currently the City of Long Beach has at any given time approximately 3,300 people experiencing homelessness. According to City’s 2022 Point in Time Count, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the City increased dramatically in recent years, with an overall rise in homelessness of 77 percent since 2017. Homelessness has disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander Long Beach residents who are approximately three times more likely to be experience homelessness than other populations. Black people comprise only 13 percent of the population of the City but, in the most recent homelessness count, completed in February 2022, accounted for approximately 36 percent of people experiencing homelessness. More than 40% of people experiencing homelessness have experienced violence or trauma in their lives, and 6% were fleeing violence when they became homeless. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness has grown by 48% since 2019.

People experiencing homelessness suffer disproportionately from mental and physical health ailments and require assistance from the County Health and Men...