Millions Spent, But Homelessness Still Rising in Long Beach

Even after spending over $130 million since 2020, Long Beach is seeing more people living on the streets. The most recent count found 3,595 people experiencing homelessness in the city—219 more than last year.

City officials say that much of the increase was caused by the January wildfires in Southern California. Of those counted, 167 people said they lost their homes because of the fires. That accounts for about 5% of the rise. The other 1.5% came from reasons like job loss, family issues, mental health struggles, eviction, and addiction.

This year, Long Beach spent around $55 million on homelessness programs. One major effort was the Vagabond Inn project, which turned a downtown motel into temporary housing. Since June 2024, the program has helped some people who would have otherwise lived in the city’s most visible encampments. But now, the city is shutting it down because it has spent the full $5.3 million in state grant money that funded the project.

Still, many are wondering: With all this money, why are more people homeless?

The city did help over 1,500 people move into permanent housing last year. It also reported a drop in chronic homelessness, which includes people who have been unhoused for a long time. But at the same time, more people are becoming homeless—some for the first time. In fact, the number of newly homeless people has grown from 14.3% to 16% in just one year.

Earlier this year, the city returned a $5.6 million state grant meant for building tiny homes because it couldn’t find a place to put them. That decision raised even more questions about how homelessness funds are being used.

City leaders say more help is on the way, with new housing centers being built for youth and other at-risk groups. But for now, the number of unhoused people continues to grow.

As Long Beach spends millions each year, residents are asking:

Where is the money going and why aren’t we seeing better results?

What do you think needs to change? Let us know.