Our Mission and Vision
Our Strategy
ACT LONG BEACH! plans to shake up the status quo and hold the City of Long Beach accountable. Legal action will be used, as needed, to address homelessness and the City’s failed programs. We follow in the footsteps of the LA Alliance for Human Rights and their court-overseen settlements, the result of successful suits filed against both the City and County of Los Angeles (which jointly administer LA’s homeless bureau, called LAHSA) in federal court. Now the unhoused residents and business owners of LA are getting results, including a five-year plan with federal judge-enforced benchmarks and a major outside audit of homelessness spending. With your generous dollars and our commitment to human rights, we will hire the same successful legal counsel to put strength behind our demands. Our fight for humanitarian responses from Long Beach city government will be in the media, public and private meetings, and if necessary, in the courtroom.
Why We Organized
The City has received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal, state, and county grants over the past several years to end homelessness. The problem is not a lack of funds, it’s the misuse and mismanagement of these funds. The City has provided beds for less than 30% of the unhoused on our streets. That is an embarrassingly low percentage given the money spent. If official figures are to be believed, at a minimum, well over 60% of our unhoused community is living without even emergency shelter. Our city’s economy, public health, livability, and safety suffer. No one has held the city accountable. We want to change that!
ACT LONG BEACH! is tired of talk without results by politicians. We’re tired of inconsistent numbers and misleading information from our mayor, council members, and City staff. The City’s homeless services center, the Multi-Service Center, is widely regarded as being nearly paralyzed with dysfunction. Local government needs to be held accountable for the effects of homelessness on every one of us. It is a human right to have safe streets, shelters, neighborhoods, and business areas. Our unhoused neighbors need assistance to get off the street to have a chance at becoming stable and productive.
Mission Statement
We are a nonprofit Long Beach community group focused on government accountability to ensure the rights and dignity of those suffering the consequences of homelessness, including our city’s unhoused, businesses owners, workers, visitors, and residents.
Testimonial
“I have been homeless living on the streets of Long Beach and surrounding areas for many years, struggling with addiction and mental illness. I was referred to the MSC for service including housing and mental health treatment. They helped me get my birth certificate and get on the list for housing, but after years on ‘the list’ my voucher was ultimately given to someone else because of a lack of communication. So now I’m back on ‘the list’ waiting…”
– Nate D.
What We Need
ACT LONG BEACH! understands the anger of residents and business owners because of the contrast between what they hear from City leaders and what they see every day on the streets. We invite you to join us as we stand up for the humanity of Long Beach. We need the community to join with us to force the City to provide effective solutions and support the diverse needs of the unhoused struggling to survive and our neighborhoods and businesses.
We need to work together! Join us as we make our city a better place for all!