The Californer - City of Long Beach to Provide Sanitation and Water Filling Services to People Living in Recreational Vehicles

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Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach will offer a new space that provides people experiencing homelessness and currently living in recreational vehicles (RVs) with sanitation and water-filling services. A Revocable Facility Use permit approval for the new site was authorized by the Board of Utilities Commissioners during the Thursday, Feb. 2 meeting, and approved with a 4 to 0 vote.

"Promoting the health and safety of people in our city experiencing homelessness is crucial to addressing this crisis," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "By providing access to proper sanitation and water services, we are offering a vital resource to our community members living in RVs."

This site, located at St. Louis Avenue and 32nd Street, will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will provide services to people who have received a referral from the Multi-Service Center (MSC). It will offer two or three sanitation dump stations, allowing people living in RVs to properly dispose their sewage, as well as provide access to water filling stations. The location will also provide on-site staffing, consisting of an attendant who will assist visitors with services and a security guard. Construction will take approximately two to three weeks to complete, which will begin once site materials and equipment are received.

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"It is essential that we provide spaces where we can connect people in our community who are experiencing homelessness with the services they need," said Fifth District Councilwoman Megan Kerr. "This site will be an important asset in ensuring people living in RVs have a place to meet their sanitation needs, which will benefit our entire community."

This site will not be open to the general public. People experiencing homelessness and living in RVs who are interested in using these services must first receive a referral from the MSC, located at 1301 W. 12th St. No overnight parking will be offered. In addition to the sanitation dumping and water filling stations currently offered, portable showers will be added to the site in the coming months.

"In Long Beach, we are a family. Many of us have lived here for years and raised our children here. The homelessness crisis reminds us that not all members of our family are always in the same place at the same time," said Gloria Cordero, president of the Board of Utilities Commissioners. "I want to thank the Commission for joining me in supporting the city's homelessness initiative to address the crisis our community is facing."

For more information on the City's efforts to reduce homelessness in Long Beach, people may visit longbeach.gov/homelessness and follow @lbhealthdept and @longbeachcity on social media and follow the hashtag #EveryoneHomeLB.

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