City of Long Beach to Study Several Policy Changes to Help Boost Housing Production

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PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach is excited to host a series of Housing Policy Forums focused on gathering input and informing the community of numerous housing policy and zoning initiatives currently underway. These initiatives will encourage and grow housing production, increase housing affordability, reduce tenant displacement and attract innovative developments in high-resource areas.

"We want to invite the public into these important conversations, so that they can be a part of the process," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "These innovative policy proposals, introduced in May, will help Long Beach families find stable housing through increased production and enhanced tenant protections. From assisting community members experiencing homelessness with access to housing, to opening up the dream of homeownership to a young family, we can address the multifaceted housing needs of our diverse city."

The Community Development Department continues its crucial policy work designed to help achieve the City's fair housing goals outlined in the certified 6th Cycle (2021-2029) Housing Element. In addition to delivering on the goals of the Housing Element, the Department continues to meet other state mandates and is striving to ensure the City meets its overall housing needs.

Residents, community partners and stakeholders are invited to learn more and provide valuable input as it relates to the various housing policy initiatives at three upcoming forums listed below:

Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Houghton Park Community Center, 6301 Myrtle Ave., 90805

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Long Beach Energy Resources Auditorium, 2400 Spring St., 90806

Thursday, Sept. 12, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
McBride Park Community Center, 1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., 90813

Interpretation will be provided in Spanish and other languages by request. To learn more and RSVP to attend one of the forums, visit the Housing Policies webpage. Feedback garnered at the community forums will help further the development of several housing amendments and policy initiatives currently being evaluated by the City as listed below:

• Inclusionary Housing Policy: Building on the successful inclusionary housing program in Downtown and parts of Central Long Beach, staff are proposing to expand the Inclusionary Housing requirement citywide. With this enhancement, all future housing developments with 10 or more units anywhere in the city would be required to include affordable housing units in otherwise market-rate housing developments.
• Zone In: This is a citywide effort to update zoning regulations through land use reforms to better meet community needs consistent with recent General Plan updates. More information will be available on the various rezoning efforts happening throughout the City.
• Religious Facility Overlay: Many churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship have extra land or underutilized buildings that could be used for housing. The City's Religious Facility Overlay will build upon state law SB 4 and expand new housing opportunities on religious and institutional sites citywide including in high resource areas.
• Downtown Plan and Downtown Shoreline Plan Updates: Land use regulations are being updated for the City's Downtown and Waterfront, where more than 5,000 new housing units have been approved and substantial investment has taken place over the past decade. This update process will sculpt the coming decades of growth and innovation in Downtown and will assure access to economic and recreational opportunities for residents across the city.
• Just Cause Ordinance Update: The City prohibits landlords from evicting tenants unless the landlord has a reason listed in the law to do so. These proposed policy changes would further strengthen tenant protections and prevent displacement of existing residents, including increasing the relocation assistance amount for all evictions due to no-fault just causes.
• Omnibus Housing Code Update: Batching minor but important amendments to zoning regulations into one Omnibus update better facilitates housing and homeless service uses. This effort implements commitments made in the City's Housing Element and adopts lessons learned from the 2023-24 City's homeless emergency provisions.
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) Initiative: The City is a leader in ADU production, and this update will facilitate further growth and assure that future ADUs and SB 9 units meet high community standards. This legally mandated update also includes design guidelines that are available to help homeowners design their best possible housing solutions.
• Housing Element Mid-Cycle Equity Analysis: This mid-term check in measures the City's progress on implementing its Housing Element commitments, with a focus on addressing documented fair housing disparities across different areas of the city. The analysis will begin later this year and the results will be presented to the Long Beach City Council, keeping the City on track to meeting its objectives by Fall 2025.

"Over the years Long Beach has emerged as a leader in new housing production. These policy changes will help the City continue that leadership while assuring that each project benefits the community and serves those in need," said Christopher Koontz, Director of the Community Development Department. "We need to meet the state's housing goals and most importantly the residents' needs for housing in Long Beach. Engaging the public in this process is critical to achieving these goals."

To request more information about these amendments and policy initiatives, please email the Community Development Department at [email protected].

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. 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. 

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For more information about Community Development, visit longbeach.gov/lbcd and like Facebook and follow on X and Instagram.      

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