A former Best Western hotel bought by the city of Long Beach during the pandemic, with the hopes of transitioning the homeless to permanent housing, has seen 20 of the 257 people it enrolled die at the facility since March 2021.
“We mourn every person who died,” the city wrote in a statement. “Over the past three years, we have prioritized people who are older and people with chronic or terminal health conditions such as cancer, heart and kidney failure and other serious health conditions.”
Cause of death data NBC4 obtained in just the last two years shows at least one person died of an overdose and another of blunt force injuries.
“The City is aware of one death caused by overdose of methamphetamines and one that was a vehicular collision. The other deaths were caused by medical conditions or are unknown to us as an autopsy was not conducted or reported by the LA County Medical Examiners Office. “
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“There was so many of them (deaths), I lost track. I stop counting,” said Lewis Murphy, who currently lives at the facility off Long Beach Boulevard and lost his friend Ray last year. “I said, ‘Ray is Dead?’ I said he was healthier than me.”
“They died like flies,” said Elizabeth Smith, whose friend “Red” died inside the former hotel last year. She believed “Red” died of a heart attack.
Emails obtained from the city between its homeless services bureau director Paul Duncan and Illumination Foundation, the non-profit that ran the facility, show calls for more medical help or on-site drug counselors went unmet. The city cited cost concerns.
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Illumination Foundation pulled out at the end of their contract in February and did not respond for comment.
“The City is thankful to Illumination Foundation for their work at the site over the past three years, and we are thankful to the staff who have stayed on as we transition to a new provider. The majority of Illumination Foundation staff have stayed on and are deeply invested in the well-being of our residents,” the city wrote in a statement.
The city council is expected to vote on a new operator for the facility this Tuesday. Mayor Rex Richardson was asked for comment and if anyone would be held accountable, but referred to the city statement as a response.
The Long Beach Post first reported on this story.
