Long Beach sees first decrease in homelessness since 2017

Homelessness down in Long Beach, up in OC

For the first time in nearly a decade, the number of homeless in Long Beach has gone down. Meanwhile in Long Beach the homeless population has gone up nearly 30 percent.

LONG BEACH, Calif. - The city of Long Beach reported its first decrease in homelessness since 2017.

Newly released findings from the 2024 Homeless Point in Time Count reveal that Long Beach identified 3,376 people experiencing homelessness in January 2024. That number is slightly down compared with 3,447 people in 2023.

Homeless spending effectiveness not tracked

A new state audit shows that the effectiveness of California's homeless programs, on which the state spent $24 billion over five years was not consistently tracked.

According to the city, that is a 2.1% decrease —the first time the city has reported a decrease since 2017.

"For the first time in seven years, we are reporting a drop in overall homelessness, including a nearly 50% reduction in youth homelessness. It’s clear that the work the City has done in addressing homelessness is beginning to turn the tide. These numbers let us know we are on the right track and must continue on in the work," Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement.

According to the recent count, homelessness among the youngest and oldest populations dropped in 2024.

Below is a breakdown of the categories.

Decreased by 49.7% for people 18-24 years old
Decreased by 37% for minors (those under 18)
Decreased by 1.4% for people 25-34 years old
Decreased by 9.4% among those ages 55 to 64
Decreased by 3% among people ages 65 and older
Increased by 11% among people 35-44 years old
Increased by 6.2% among people 45-54 years old

The number of women experiencing homelessness decreased by 13%, while there was a significant increase among people who identified as transgender (39.6%) and gender-nonconforming (38%).

Homelessness also decreased 35% among Asians/Pacific Islanders and 22% among Latinx people. The number of people who identified as multiracial spiked by 283%, and homelessness among Native American/Alaska Native people increased by 95%. White people experiencing homelessness increased by 7.5% and Black people experiencing homelessness dropped by 0.7%.

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness increased by 5% but the number of veterans who were unsheltered dropped by 20%. Through new housing developments at Heritage Gardens and the Cove, 78 more veterans experiencing homelessness will become housed in the coming months, officials said.

According to the report, the most common reasons for becoming homeless were: