Long Beach · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Long Beach public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Long Beach Airport hangar and office expansion
A previously approved airport project wants to nearly double Hangar 1's size and build a bigger two-story office, cutting parking from 117 to 84 stalls but adding bike parking. The commission will decide whether it fits within the environmental review already done for the Globemaster Corridor area.
CoC Board recruitment
The CoC Board approved the City's FY 2026 funding recommendations, which will affect several currently funded programs, and is expanding by nine new seats with a solicitation for applicants opening soon.
Storm Damage and Housing Safety
Recent El Niño storms hit Southern California hard, causing bad flooding and forcing Long Beach to red-tag 13 homes due to safety hazards. With storm season just getting started, you'll want to keep an eye out for more extreme weather alerts.
Mayor's Fund grant applications for homeless services
Two nonprofit grant requests — $9,862.50 for Transformational Living Homes and $10,000 for Prep ED Programs Inc. — were set to go before the committee. Because the meeting was cancelled, the funding decisions are on hold until a future meeting.
Atlantic Avenue Property Dispositions
The city is negotiating terms of sale on eleven parcels along Atlantic Avenue in the 90805 area with a dozen parties, including housing and community organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Jamboree Housing. What gets built or sold there could reshape that corridor.
Bluff Park garage and ADU project at 2515 East Ocean Boulevard
A homeowner will replace an old garage with a larger one topped by an 858-square-foot ADU in the Bluff Park Historic District. The commission approved it because the house and garage are non-contributing 1979 structures, but a neighbor across the alley says the new two-story building erases his family's ocean view.
LB Co-Lab neighborhood pilots
Three community-designed pilots are in their final phase: smart safety lighting along the Anaheim Business District, charging kiosks and hygiene kits for vulnerable residents, and a native-plant and beehive transformation of a vacant lot at 801 MLK Avenue.
Cross-commission collaboration on homeless services
The subcommittee plans to connect with other city commissions — disabilities, women and girls, seniors, equity — to align on homeless services recommendations, including inviting the disabilities commission to present its recommendations.
Merger creating the Office of Children and Youth
Starting October 1, the Office of Youth Development merges with Early Childhood Education into a new Office of Children and Youth serving ages zero to 24. Staff say the merger closes gaps for families with kids of different ages who previously had to navigate separate offices.
2026 Annual Plan certification
The Housing Authority's yearly plan for HUD — no changes from last year, just an updated progress report on five-year goals — was certified and sent to the federal government.
Golden Shore development agreement compliance
The Golden Shore project near the shoreline is in year ten of its development agreement, valid until 2035. Work is underway to convert an office building into housing with 75 new units on top of a parking structure, though no new applications have come forward for the west side.
River Park Project development agreement compliance
The 226-home River Park project near the LA River includes a 4.81-acre public park the builder must develop and maintain, plus twelve very-low-income affordable units and Wrigley Dog Park upgrades. The commission affirmed the developer is meeting its obligations so far.
Stadium Redevelopment
Veterans Stadium is getting leveled to build a brand-new sports complex, which means local sports fans are saying goodbye to an old favorite. Get ready for a totally revamped athletic facility in Long Beach.
CoC Board expansion for NOFO points
The board approved a charter expansion adding up to nine targeted seats — elected officials, business, law enforcement, health, workforce, and courts — to earn up to eight points on the federal application. Members worried a bigger board could worsen quorum problems.
Classified applicant appeal process
The city is building a way for applicants to civil-service (classified) jobs to appeal being rejected at the minimum-qualification screening stage — a right unclassified applicants already have. It can't launch until all eleven labor unions agree, so there's no timeline yet.
Community Land Trust expansion in Long Beach
The Long Beach Community Land Trust, seeded with city funding two years ago, has secured its first building — an 11-unit apartment — and could tap a new LA County program worth $15 million annually. A local investment of about $500,000 could leverage roughly $7 million in county funds for around 30 permanently affordable units.
Olympics relocation of dry boat storage
A resident whose boat is stored near the future Olympic viewing stand asked for early notice and input on relocating about 120 boats, after receiving only seven days' notice about the Davies closure.
Verizon rooftop wireless facility at Second & PCH
Verizon wants better cell coverage at the busy Second & PCH shopping center, hiding 16 antennas inside an extended cupola so the architecture looks unchanged. The wetlands trust got assurances about bird safety between Los Cerritos Wetlands and Alamitos Bay.
AB 2006 and AB 1914 child care legislation
Two state bills could make child care easier to create: AB 2006 lets providers use state buildings, and AB 1914 would require cities to plan for child care in their general plans. Commissioners asked whether the planning mandate comes with funding — currently it does not.
Governance Charter and Bylaws updates
The board is updating its governing rules to align with HUD requirements, mandate public comment before adoption, and clarify the general membership's authority over the charter. The public can weigh in for ten business days before final approval expected in May.
Developer-funded water main relocation for 6615 E. PCH housing project
A developer building 390 apartments at 6615 E. Pacific Coast Highway will relocate about 2,200 feet of city water mains at its own expense — roughly $570,000 in construction plus staff costs — and hand the new lines over to the city. Ratepayers pay nothing.
Draft 2026 policy recommendations to the Mayor and City Council
The Policy Subcommittee shared draft recommendations: set a quantifiable shelter-rate goal (60% by 2030), expand hygiene services like mobile showers and overnight toilets, and boost publicity and donations to the Mayor's Fund. Feedback will shape a final draft in May.
Mills Act historic preservation application cycle
The annual window for property owners to apply for Mills Act historic-preservation contracts closed March 20. Staff is now reviewing applications for completeness, with results to come back to the commission.
Downtown parking and grocery access concerns
Neighbors told the commission parking is make-or-break downtown — one said he passed on five buildings without it — and pressed again for a grocery store after the local one closed. The developer will charge market rates for unbundled parking stalls.
Historic bank building converted to housing
The 1906 First National Bank building on Pine Avenue — a designated landmark — will become 69 apartments, 20 percent of them affordable, with a rooftop community garden and restored clock tower. Restaurants L'Opera and Alegria stay.
Dedicated Public Works project manager for Marine Bureau
The committee wants Public Works to assign a full-time project manager to marine projects, citing years of delays on restrooms, docks, and other improvements. A letter to the City Manager passed 3-0 despite budget concerns.
Forced evictions for substantial remodels
A resident told the Authority that landlords across all nine districts are using 'substantial remodel' evictions to empty buildings, renovate, and raise rents beyond what working tenants can afford. He asked the council to close this loophole.
LB Co-Lab neighborhood pilot projects
The city's civic-tech program is launching three 12-month pilots: security tech in the Anaheim Street business corridor, charging kiosks and tech kits for people experiencing homelessness, and beehives on vacant lots. About $225,000 goes directly into these neighborhood projects.
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan update
The Housing Authority adopted a comprehensive update to the Administrative Plan that governs how the Section 8 rental assistance program operates in Long Beach. The update brings the plan into compliance with new federal HUD regulations and adds local policy changes, effective January 1, 2026.
New homeless prevention rental assistance program
The city is launching a prevention program with about $2.5 million for rental assistance — up to $36,000 or six months of rent per household — administered with the Housing Authority, rolling out next month. An older adult shallow subsidy is also in the works.
Utility-owned properties and infrastructure oversight
The new Infrastructure Committee's first meeting examined what to do with utility-owned land, plus fire hydrant inspections and Naples Island sewer smoke testing — decisions that could shape future land use.
Davies launch ramp rebuild and capital projects
The Davies launch ramp rebuild is nearing construction with a hoped-for summer/fall mobilization; staff want to limit full closures. Other projects — berth revitalization, restroom rebuilds, and a new pier dock — target completion by summer 2028.