What should the city do when confronted with homeless individuals who refuse to go into a shelter or temporary housing?
The homeless crisis is an issue that’s both a critical quality of life concern for residents of the 5th District and a deeper reflection of long-term policy failures—and we must address both facets. If elected, I will work compassionately to connect unhoused residents with existing resources while also working to expand the opportunities and services we are able to offer so that we are meeting peoples’ needs. This means having shelter beds available including ones that allow families, pets, or storage for a person’s belongings, which can be a barrier to people entering temporary housing, safe parking areas, AND it means providing the supportive services that keep people facing housing insecurity in their homes.
We can also utilize programs like rapid rehousing and Project Homekey to get people in supportive housing as quickly as possible. The council has taken a good first step by supporting the governor’s mental health court proposal. If done well this can be another tool in assisting the chronically homeless before they are arrested.
How would you address crime in the city?
I understand the importance of feeling safe in the city in which you live and work. I support strong, community-based policing and I am committed to promoting efficient policing through investments in personnel. We must work to appropriately staff and train our police department so they have the ability to respond to calls quickly and in ways that best meet the needs of our diverse community. Maintaining public safety and emergency response times is a primary concern of residents across our city, not just in the 5th District. We need officers to not only respond to calls but to fully investigate them so they can be dealt with appropriately in the courts. I look forward to working with our public safety agencies to innovate and support programs to build community trust, maintain quality of life for all residents, and decrease our crime rates.
In addition, we know that not every call for service is crime-related and we should continue to utilize and expand the use of our highly trained health department staff to come alongside our officers as they respond to calls that may be related to a mental health crisis or person in extreme distress. These teams have proved an effective way to help de-escalate difficult situations while keeping residents and officers safe.
The state is requiring Long Beach to make room for 26,502 new housing units by 2029. How should the 5th District be a part of that plan?
First of all, it’s absolutely critical that we continue to create new homes in Long Beach. We are facing an acute need for housing across the income spectrum and shortsighted policies of the past have left us in the position of needing historic home development to remedy this shortfall. For us to meet this challenge, we need a continued multifaceted approach. This starts with existing efforts to continue building new housing units where it is appropriate and aligned with the city’s Land Use Plan, Urban Design plan and Housing Element.
I believe we should also take the opportunity provided by the recently-adopted California H.O.M.E. Act and look at ways both property owners and our housing stock can benefit by encouraging responsible development like A.D.U. [accessory dwelling unit] conversion and duplex construction. The entire city as a whole is responsible for the housing goals set forth and equitable development should include parts of the city that have been traditionally less dense. Reasonable solutions like this both benefit our whole community and give homeowners the tools to further capitalize on an incredibly strong rental housing market to supplement their income.
What would you do about the high cost of housing in Long Beach?
High housing costs are due to a lack of inventory. As we continue to grow our economy and add jobs, we need to make sure that we are increasing housing availability and not displacing current residents. In the long-term, adding to our aging housing stock is the best way to combat rising prices. In the short-term, we must continue to find solutions that prevent folks from falling into housing insecurity and homelessness.
Do you believe the city is doing enough to alleviate climate change and the effect it’s having on the city? If not, what additional actions should be taken?
As a coastal city, Long Beach is more susceptible to climate change and sea-level rise and our more densely populated areas and inland areas are becoming increasingly hotter due to fewer parks and open space. The city should maintain its strong and strategic Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and the other environmental plans endorsed and approved by the City Council. If we are going to be serious about lessening the impact of climate change, then we must increase our staffing capacities to effectively build out the programs we have in place and ensure we are meeting our climate and air quality targets.
I will work to protect, expand, and create more open space in our city as an additional way to address this issue. I believe as a city we need to continue to actively search for solutions to the climate crisis that intersect between job creation/preservation and improving the quality of life for residents of the city. I’m particularly interested in working with our city leadership in ensuring Long Beach benefits from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by Congress—particularly the provisions that will make our community more sustainable and equitable for our neighborhoods most impacted by the legacy of fossil energy.