There were three guest speakers from the Multi-Service Center, from Health and Human Services and from the Quality of Life Division of the Long Beach Police. Part of the meeting involved explaining the bi-annual census numbers, which Long Beach is required to collect to receive federal funding related to the homeless population. Those numbers show an 18% decrease in the homeless population between 2013 and 2015. There was also a 42% decrease in the population of homeless vets. This compares to a 12 percent increase in the homeless population in LA.
Disparities between what looks like an increase in the homeless population and the census numbers may be because the city recently cleared the homeless population out of the LA River and the beaches. This pushed a lot of Long Beach's homeless population back into some of the poorer neighborhoods.
Part of the reason for this is Mayor Robert Garcia's direct challenge to put an end to all homeless vets. Another may be the existence of new programs such as VASH: a kind of Section 8 for homeless vets. The Quality of Live division of the LBPD is a proactive policing unit that tries to coordinate resources for Long Beach residents who find themselves on the street. The unit works closely with the Multi Service Center and the Department of Health and Human Resources.
At the Quality of Life division, we have a goal of no homeless children in Long Beach
The Quality of Life Division has a wide range of responsibilities that have ranged from helping twenty-year homeless vets find housing to helping homeless people reunite with family. A repeating theme was that no matter how many resources are available, it's very difficult to help anyone who doesn't want help, and that often times, out reach can take years before the homeless person is ready to leave the street. Two other often repeated is that being homeless in itself it isn't a crime.
Usually, when the Quality of Life Division does do out reach they will target specific areas of Long Beach. One day, they may target the parks; another day they may target businesses and on another the beaches. They also stated, they will go out of their way to make sure every child in Long Beach has a home.
Something, that was somewhat counter intuitive was the Quality of Life Division discourages giving money or food to the homeless population as it de-incentives getting help. Instead, they request those who want to help the homeless volunteer in homeless shelters like the Long Beach Rescue Mission or donate to the institutions directly helping them. You can also help the Quality of Life Division of the LBPD by donating to the Long Beach Police Foundation, that directly helps fund it:
www.lbpolicefoundation.org.
There were no other topics touched on at tonight's meeting.
Thanks Shayne. I had my nephew's 6th Birthday party to attend... I had to go. I'm his favorite uncle.
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