January 2023

Happy New Year!

From the Long Beach Equity Team to you and your loved ones, we wish you a Happy New Year! 

 

So much has happened in the last 12 months that as we prepare for the work ahead, we reflect with excitement and joy on all that we've accomplished. In just one year, the Office of Equity grew from a bustling team of 3 to 8, supported by Deputy City Manager Teresa Chandler. The new positions added to our office include two full-time Language Access Specialists for Khmer and Spanish translation and interpretation and the Citywide ADA/Accessibility Coordinator. 

 

Over the last year, the Office of Equity has inherited two commissions: the Equity and Human Relations Commission (EHRC) and the Citizens Advisory Commission on Disabilities (CACoD). Additionally, we are spearheading the City's efforts to establish a Commission on Women and Girls— have you taken our Community Survey yet? 

 

As you can see, the Office of Equity has been hard at work! Here is more information on what we've been up to: 

 

Language Access 

  • Translated 930 City Documents 
  • Provided interpretation at 137 City meetings and events 
  • Fielded 1,422 phone calls through our on-demand, over-the-phone interpretation contractor 
  • Hired 2 full-time Language Access Specialists (Khmer and Spanish) 

 

Long Beach Justice Fund 

  • Awarded 3 contracts to community service connectors to provide outreach and education for the Justice Fund 
  • Referred 29 community members to the Justice Fund Legal Service Provider 
  • Since 2019, 170 total referrals to the Justice Fund 
  • Since 2019, the Justice Fund has represented 52 clients 

 

ADA/Accessibility  

  • Received 32 requests through the City's Access Request Program 
  • Facilitated 12 Access + Inclusion micro-trainings for City Staff related to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Cities for All Global Initiative  

 

Racial Equity and Reconciliation 

  • Conducted 30 Racial Equity 101 Trainings 
  • Enlisted 53 Racial Equity Champions to support the City's internal transformation efforts 
  • Facilitated 19 hours of racial equity training and capacity building for Department Leadership 
  • Hired 2 full-time program specialists to support the implementation of the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative 
  • Since 2020, over 2,700 employees have completed the City's Racial Equity 101 Training 

 

Looking Ahead 

 

What a year! We are well into 2023, and we don’t plan to slow down the work. Looking ahead, the Office of Equity will prioritize updating the City’s Language Access Policy, creating Racial Equity Action Plans for each citywide department, expanding the types of legal representation provided by the Long Beach Justice Fund, and establishing the Long Beach Commission on Women and Girls. We will also have an active role in supporting the Citywide Emergency on homelessness. As a team, we will continue to provide technical assistance and support on various City programs and initiatives by centering the community and using an intersectional lens to advance racial equity. These efforts bring us closer to ensuring that all people in Long Beach are healthy, safe, and thriving.  

 

We recognize that our work has been made possible through years of community advocacy and engagement; for that, we thank you.  

 

Let's make this year count! 


Office of Equity & City Updates

Long Beach Commission on Women and Girls – Community Survey

Help shape the mission and priorities of the #LBCWG! The Long Beach Commission on Women and Girls Community Survey Deadline has been extended to January 30, 2023. Please take the questionnaire and share it among your networks of women and girls for an incentive while supplies last.

English
Spanish
Khmer
Tagalog

Update on the City Strategic Vision 2030  

In early 2019, the Mayor and City Council directed the City Manager to work with staff to develop a Strategic Plan to reflect the work and heart of the City of Long Beach (City) through 2030. The core of the plan was to engage the community to identify goals, objectives, and actions to address climate change, housing affordability, education, jobs, infrastructure, transportation, technology, public safety, and other key areas of focus.


The Strategic Vision Planning Committee paused its work during the COVID-19 pandemic and understood, when it regrouped in 2021, the need to revisit the City’s priorities. While there was some shift in focus, the core areas of the Vision remained. Click below for the full update on the City Strategic Vision 2030.

Full Memo

Long Beach Police Department, Office of Constitutional Policing - Community Advisory Committee

The Long Beach Police Department, Office of Constitutional Policing (OCP) is recruiting community members to join the Community Advisory Committee (CAC).  

 

The OCP analyzes current policies and practices to ensure the Department aligns with the highest standards, legislative mandates, and community perspectives. 

 

The CAC was established in February 2021 to provide community perspectives in the forming of public-facing policies and practices. The Committee acts in an advisory capacity and is intended to offer a broad spectrum of viewpoints for the Long Beach Police Department executive team to consider while forming policies and practices. The CAC also helps the Police Department increase transparency and public trust. 

 

Please use this link to learn more about the CAC.  

 

If you are interested in applying:

  • Email your resume to OCP@longbeach.gov (Subject Line: CAC)  
  • Provide a short description of why you are interested in serving on this committee  
  • Describe your existing ties to the Long Beach community 


Programs, Announcements, & Upcoming Events

Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade & Celebration

DATE: Saturday, January 14, 2023 

TIME: Parade at 10:00 AM, Celebration from noon to 5:00 pm  

LOCATION: Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave. 

 

On Saturday, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Anaheim Street, followed by the park celebration from noon to 5 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Park (1950 Lemon Ave.).  

 

The park celebration will include a health and wellness area, a youth area, food and merchandise vendors, information booths, and a main stage with headlining performance by The Mary Jane Girls.


More Info

Complete These Park Community Surveys

The City of Long Beach and local community partners are leading efforts to reimagine several parks, and we would like to hear from you!  

 

Please provide your feedback by completing the any of the following surveys.  

 

Your responses will help inform the design of a park vision plan to help prioritize future improvements and investments.


Click here for flyers in all languages.

King Park
Scherer Park
14th St Park

A MESSAGE FROM LONG BEACH UTILITIES: TIPS FOR CONSERVING

Due to soaring global natural gas prices and colder-than-average temperatures, the market cost of gas has tripled in just the past month for all of Southern California. 

 

December gas bills were already high, and costs for January will be much higher. 

 

As Long Beach Utilities, we're doing all we can to mitigate impacts and help our customers, including reviewing our purchasing strategies. We don't take a profit on the gas we provide -- you pay what we pay. 

 

You can help reduce your January bill by conserving now. 

* Dial down the thermostat to 68 degrees or lower  

* Warm your home with natural sunlight during the day 

* Wash clothes in cold water  

* Take shorter hot showers 

* Bundle up with warm blankets, socks and sweaters 

 

For frequently asked questions and additional resources, visit Longbeach.gov/energyresources


Long Beach Public Library Virtual Author Talks

Join LBPL online every month for their exciting virtual author talk series, which offers a mix of perspectives and live Q&A with bestselling authors. January’s talks cover fierce female leads, realistic tips for organizing your home, and scientific answers to wild hypothetical questions.Join LBPL online every month for their exciting virtual author talk series, which offers a mix of perspectives and live Q&A with bestselling authors. January’s talks cover fierce female leads, realistic tips for organizing your home, and scientific answers to wild hypothetical questions.

More Info

Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate Program

The Long Beach Public Library is launching the inaugural Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate (YPL) program, which brings Long Beach youth the opportunity to enact positive change in their communities through their activism and art. YPL participants from around the country have gone on to compete in national poetry competitions, start independently-owned publishing presses and most notably, as seen with Amanda Gorman, perform at a presidential inauguration. The application period for the inaugural Long Beach YPL program will open at 8 a.m. on Jan. 10 and close on Feb. 21 at 11:59 p.m. Click below to learn about the application process.

More Info
Long Beach Recovery Act Program Updates

Long Beach Resource Line

The City of Long Beach has expanded its LB Resource Line, an informational hotline that provides free and confidential support to anyone who lives, works, learns or plays in Long Beach and needs assistance finding and accessing local community resources and social services. The LB Resource Line launched in March 2020 during the COVID-19 Safer-At-Home health orders to connect older adults to critical pandemic-related information, resources and services. The line has now expanded its services to provide support to all Long Beach residents, and callers can now connect in real time with a professionally trained Resource Navigator for support. The LB Resource Line is available by calling 562.570.4246 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Callers who are unable to connect to a Resource Navigator during normal business hours may leave a voicemail and their call will be returned within 24 hours. Residents can also submit an Assistance Request Form online to connect with a Resource Navigator and receive information and assistance in topics such as: Housing, Food access, Physical and mental health, Utilities, Transportation, and Legal Aid. 

Guaranteed Income Pilot Application Now Open

The City of Long Beach launched the application period for the Long Beach Pledge, the City’s guaranteed income pilot program. The program will provide $500 a month for 12 months to 250 families with children who live in the 90813 zip code, are below 100% of the federal poverty line and have one income earner for their household. The application is open for eligible residents now through Jan. 17, 2023, at 4:59 p.m. (PST). The online application is now open at longbeachpledge.org/apply and is available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog. Applicants without computer or smartphone access may visit a public computer lab at any open Long Beach Public Library location

Mental Health Matters Awareness Campaign

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) launched Mental Health Matters, its mental health awareness campaign. The campaign seeks to normalize and destigmatize mental health and improve access and connection to mental health supports in Long Beach. The Mental Health Matters website offers education and resources for people across the city. Features include a Mental Health Toolkit, with information on how mental health may look in our own lives, available resources, where to access support in Long Beach and how to check in with a loved one who may be struggling. The campaign also provides opportunities for Long Beach community members, institutions for learning, businesses and organizations to take the pledge to be a Mental Health Champion. Those who take the pledge will receive window-clings and flyers to proudly display to help community members identify spaces around Long Beach that are actively creating safe and responsive environments for mental health.

New Website for First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program 

The City of Long Beach launched a new website for its upcoming First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program (Program), which will provide approximately 100 eligible families with up to $20,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. The application process for qualified residents is expected to open in early 2023. Facilitated by the Development Services Department, the Program, which is a grant and not a loan or mortgage service, will assist low- and moderate-income families traditionally underrepresented in homeownership with purchasing their first home and building multi-generational wealth. Applicants will need to be first-time homebuyers presently residing within a federal Community Development Block Grant designated census tract in Long Beach, among other requirements. More program details, including eligibility information, are available on the Program website at longbeach.gov/lbhomegrant

Long Beach Collaboratory Smart City Initiative Program

The City of Long Beach is launching its new Smart City Initiative program, the Long Beach Collaboratory (LB Co-Lab), to engage residents with civic technology design and equip them with technology skills to thrive in our “smart” economy. The LB Co-Lab will engage local Long Beach stakeholders in a collaborative community engagement process to scope and implement a pilot technology project. The technology implemented through this program will ensure the City invests in technology enhancements based on community-identified needs, while also teaching community members about technology design and development.  Those interested in participating in the program are encouraged to submit an interest form on the LB Co-Lab webpage. To learn more about the Smart City Initiative, including guiding principles, pilot programs and exciting new projects, go to the Smart City Initiative webpage. To read more about the LB Co-Lab, please visit https://longbeach.gov/smartcity/pilot-programs/lb-co-lab. 

Recovery Act Data Dashboard

The City of Long Beach has launched the Recovery Data Dashboard, a new tool for Long Beach community members to track spending and key performance and equity metrics related to the Long Beach Recovery Act. The Recovery Data Dashboard is part of the City’s efforts towards enhancing transparency for the Long Beach Recovery Act to ensure a results-driven, equitable and transparent approach to Recovery funding. The dashboard offers interactive features allowing the public to explore various data elements including the ability to disaggregate data by program, race/ethnicity and program status. The dashboard will be updated quarterly with the next update available in February 2023. To learn more about the Long Beach Recovery Act Dashboard, visit https://longbeach.gov/recovery/reporting-data/ .

Micro-Transit Shuttle Program for Downtown and Alamitos Beach Areas 

The City of Long Beach launched its electric-powered shuttle service for the Downtown Long Beach – Alamitos Beach neighborhoods as part of the Micro-Transit Shuttle program. This is the second and final fleet of electric-powered shuttles, which will operate Thursdays through Sundays*, and are intended to support mobility programs for economic recovery, promote non-automotive transportation modes for trips under three miles and alleviate parking impacts by connecting to nearby underutilized parking lots. As of Nov. 10, shuttle services became available for both the Downtown – Alamitos Beach and Alamitos Bay – Belmont Shore neighborhoods, including a wheelchair accessible shuttle that can transport up to two passengers who require wheelchair accommodations. All riders are encouraged to download the Ride Circuit mobile app, available from any app store, or by visiting ridecircuit.com/ride for more information. Last month, the City debuted the shuttle service in the Alamitos Beach – Belmont Shore neighborhoods. For more information, visit the City of Long Beach Micro-Transit Shuttle program webpage.

The City Seeks Partner to Establish Community Land Trust

The City of Long Beach is seeking a qualified organization with experience in affordable housing, and trust among Long Beach residents and neighborhood organizations, to establish and operate a Community Land Trust (CLT) Program. The City has launched a Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the establishment of a CLT Program as part of the City’s strategic goal to build stronger communities through investments in housing and neighborhoods. With this RFP, the City seeks to grant one-time start-up funds to a selected organization that will operate a CLT, independently acquire properties that will be held by the land trust, and pilot a low-income ownership model, thereby increasing the affordable housing stock. All criteria and specific details, including program scope, eligibility requirements and submission instructions, are available in an RFP that was launched today and posted on Long Beach Buys. Eligible organizations are encouraged submit proposals through Long Beach Buys by 11 a.m. (PST) on Jan. 31, 2023.

Contact Us!

Have any questions, concerns or comments for the Office of Equity? Contact us at EquityLB@longbeach.gov!

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