TITLE
Recommendation to direct City Attorney to draft a resolution in honor of Long Beach's 24th annual Veterans Day Celebration.
DISCUSSION
Veterans are an integral part of the Long Beach community. Long Beach is home to more than 16,000 veterans and more than 3,000 veteran-owned businesses.' The local VA system provides primary care to 50,000 veterans across Southern California.? Long Beach honors their service each year during our Veteran's Day celebrations, including the Veteran's Day Parade and Veteran's Festival. This year, it plans to honor veteran and former Long Beach Vice Mayor Val Lerch ret.
As Long Beach recognizes the service these community members have made to this country and this city, it is important to also recognize the service Long Beach owes to its veterans. In addition, the city has taken steps in recent years to further involve veterans in local government and create platforms to advocate for veterans' priorities, including the creation of the Veterans Commission and development of a Veterans Affairs Strategic Plan.
Although the City has made strides on veteran's issues since the creation of the Veterans Commission, there is still much more progress to be made. At last count, 175 of Long Beach's veterans experienced homelessness, with 76 of them being unsheltered." A true commitment to honoring Long Beach's veterans will entail making sure that none of them go unhoused. Veteran's Day should be both a recognition of the accomplishments and sacrifices of Long Beach's veterans and a recognition of how much Long Beach still must do to fulfill its promises to its veteran community.
FISCAL IMPACT
No Financial Management review was able to be conducted due to the urgency of this item.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
REX RICHARDSON
VICE MAYOR, NINTH DISTRICT
CINDY ALLEN
COUNCILWOMAN, SECOND DISTRICT
SUELY SARO
COUNCILWOMAN, SIXTH DISTRICT