The city of Long Beach will begin citing and arresting unhoused residents who refuse to leave unsafe homeless encampments, the city’s deputy manager announced in a memo earlier this week.
Long Beach Deputy City Manager Teresa Chandler sent a memo Monday that the city will focus on outreach efforts to inform unhoused residents of alternatives available as opposed to living on the street. If those efforts fail, individuals who remain in dangerous encampments could be fined as a last resort.
The move comes weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies to remove homeless encampments, threatening to withhold funding from cities that refuse to comply.
“They pee and they defecate on the patio, and it’s tough for us to have to deal with that,” said Danielle Soldati, co-owner of Ubuntu Café.
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Sodalti opened her café just a few weeks ago and said operating her business with unhoused residents in the area has been difficult.
“We want to run a business but if no one is going to come because of they are afraid to be in Long Beach it makes it even harder for us to survive,” she said.
The memo states it will target encampments in areas that block access to public spaces such as parks, libraries and beaches. It’s been met with mixed feelings from residents.
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“I don’t think it's right to arrest a homeless person but at the same time, you can’t defecate and have your business out in public areas,” said Alexander Lam, a Long Beach resident.
I think we need to do a better job of helping these people and finding them a place to live,” Long Beach resident Michelle Lorenz said.
The city did not release a timeline of when possible citations may be issued. To read the memo in its entirety, click here.
