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 Mental Health Departments to provide the necessary public services. Specifically, it is estimated that 31 percent of people experiencing homelessness in the City are affected by a chronic health condition, 29 percent are affected by substance abuse, 37 percent are affected by a serious mental illness, 36 percent are affected by physical disabilities, 23 percent are affected by developmental disabilities, and 24 percent are affected by traumatic brain injuries. The number of people experiencing homelessness with severe mental illness has more than doubled to 1,200 people and those with a substance use disorder has increased by 70% to 950 people. The amount of people experiencing homelessness has strained the City’s ability to provide appropriate shelter, housing and wrap-around services. The prevalence of extreme need significantly stresses the City’s public services.
The State of California’s COVID-19 State of Emergency, which has provided resources to keep many Long Beach residents from falling into homelessness, ends in February of 2023, thus requiring immediate action in order to create replacement and additional housing, shelter, and support for the necessary infrastructure required and address public safety concerns due to violence and severe mental and physical health issues.
In order to protect the public safety, health and welfare within the City of Long Beach, this Chapter provides a temporary suspension of rules related to Title 18, 21 and 22 of the Long Beach Municipal Code for the duration of a proclaimed local emergency.
This ordinance shall sunset One Hundred Eighty (180) days after its effective date, unless further extended by the City Council in its discretion by an amendment.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH 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; AND DECLARING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY
Respectfully Submitted,
DAWN MCINTOSH, CITY ATTORNEY