City of Long Beach Wraps Up Phase 1 of the Westside Promise Initiative and Shares Accomplishments; Launches Next Phase of Critical Work

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PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - On Oct. 23, 2024, the City of Long Beach issued a progress report for the Westside Promise (WSP) initiative, which included milestones accomplished in Phase 1, community activities taking place this fall and ongoing efforts to further WSP in the coming year as part of Phase 2. The WSP is a 10-year community investment plan that aligns existing City efforts and leverages partnerships to address current and historic challenges facing West Long Beach.

"We are committed to investing in and growing our city's assets on the Westside, a concerted effort that takes time and dedication," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "The Westside Promise, in so many ways, will help improve the livability of the area and promote the overall wellbeing of the community. We encourage our community members to get involved and join us at one of our upcoming events."

WSP is a multi-department effort led by the Long Beach Community Development Department and in collaboration with other City Departments, including Public Works, Economic Development, Health and Human Services, Library Services and Parks, Recreation and Marine, and with oversight from the City Manager's Office. The initiative focuses on areas related to housing supply, climate resiliency, youth and young adults, workforce and training, tourism, and capital improvements to City facilities like parks and health centers. In addition to neighborhood improvement, the initiative is also targeting economic development such as small business assistance and workforce training. The goal is to bolster and leverage investment in West Long Beach through entrepreneurship, grant funding and external partnerships.

To develop the WSP approach, the City first took inventory of all its existing programs and assets that were applicable to West Long Beach and engaged with internal and external stakeholders. Through a new full-time Westside Promise Coordinator in the Community Development Department, the City made immediate actions to increase the focus of existing programs in West Long Beach through enhanced outreach and engagement in local neighborhoods to promote programs such as first-time-homebuyer, roof grants, neighborhood clean-ups and investments in parks, and existing Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).

Recognizing that the Westside Promise is a marathon towards impactful, lasting change and is not a sprint, notable achievements made within the Phase 1 include:

• Hosted the Neighborhood Leadership Program summer workshop series for West Long Beach residents, covering topics such as digital inclusion and resources, financial education and navigating the City planning process, among others.
• Contributed to the enhancement of Long Beach's urban forest by planting 30 trees in empty public tree wells, including 16 trees on Harbor Avenue and 14 trees on West Willow Street, planted within the last six months through the City's Tree Planting Program.
• Supported two small businesses in West Long Beach over the past year with $198,000 in loans through the Economic Development Department's Microenterprise Loan Program.
• Helped six West Long Beach businesses recover from impacts of crime and vandalism through the Economic Development Department's Visual Improvement Program.
• Enhanced recreational opportunities and improved ADA accessibility for Admiral Kidd Park patrons by completing new playground equipment and complementary enhancements, completed in August 2023.
• Awarded grants to eight West Long Beach property owners under the Home Improvement Roof Grant Program in FY 2023-24, which offers residents up to $20,000 in grant funding for replacing their home roofs. A total of 56 grants have been awarded citywide.
• Provided one small business in West Long Beach with a $10,000 grant to help grow their business through the Economic Development Department's Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program.

Additionally, the City has met with several external organizations in an effort to bring additional resources and investment to West Long Beach through community activations, philanthropic partnerships and grant opportunities.

Having set this foundation through Phase 1 of WSP, the City is now launching Phase 2, focusing on tangible interventions throughout West Long Beach.

As community engagement and participation are a central component in sustaining WSP efforts over the next 10 years and beyond, the City is hosting a series of engaging activities taking place in West Long Beach over the coming months and encourages community members to get involved. Activities that have taken place include tabling events at local parks, school campuses, and businesses as well as a housing resource fair that featured information about homeowner assistance programs.

A special event, the Westside Promise Day of Activation, will take place Saturday, Nov. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon at Silverado Park (1545 W. 31st St.). The event unites local businesses, organizations, philanthropic partners and City Departments with the West Long Beach community to share information about local resources, opportunities for residents to share feedback on current and future WSP efforts, and volunteerism and community leadership opportunities. More information about this event is available here.

"The Westside Promise is a commitment to our West Long Beach community. It is a journey towards creating impactful change that will last for generations. Engaging with our community and keeping our community informed of our progress is an invaluable part of that success," said Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga.

As part of the efforts to promote the initiative and keep the community informed, the City recently launched the Westside Promise website, available at longbeach.gov/wsp. The site serves as a resource hub to communicate important information to the community and stakeholders about WSP's objectives, community events and programs for West Long Beach. It also serves as a tool for transparency and engagement and will receive regular updates on key program milestones, accomplishments and positive impacts through community initiatives, park and street improvements, special events and area studies. The site currently features infographics, maps and interactive data graphs as well as a link to subscribe and receive WSP updates and information on upcoming events.

WSP began in summer 2023 with the convening by Mayor Rex Richardson of various Long Beach industry leaders to learn about the program, which the City Council adopted as part of its 2024 fiscal year budget. The adoption included one-time funds over a two-year period and the hiring of a coordinator to bring together multi-departmental efforts to invest in the Westside, as well as a public engagement component to leverage neighborhood and philanthropic efforts. While the first two years and phases of WSP are funded at this time, the City's commitment to the Westside is generational and will continue into Phase 3 in future years.

For more information about WSP, contact the Department's Housing and Neighborhood Services Bureau at 562.570.6949 or visit longbeach.gov/wsp.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

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