Long Beach’s 2024
count showed a reduction of 2.1% compared to 2023, the first time in seven years that the city has reported an overall decrease in homelessness, Mayor Rex Richardson announced Wednesday.
“I am very encouraged by the 2024 Homeless Point-in-Time Count numbers,” Richardson said during a news conference Wednesday morning. “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.”
The mayor noted that Long Beach saw a “significant drop” in the oldest and youngest populations falling into homelessness.
Youth ages 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness declined by 49.7%, and minors under the age of 18 experiencing homelessness fell by 37%. For individuals between the ages of 55 and 64, there was a 65% reduction of homelessness.