Long Beach homelessness count rises to 3,729 as shelter use grows
Long Beach counted 3,729 people experiencing homelessness during the early morning hours of January 22, 2026, a 3.7% increase from the 2025 count. The results arrive as the city’s Continuum of Care prepares project recommendations for a federal homelessness-funding application due August 26.
The Point-in-Time Count is a one-night estimate, not a complete census of everyone experiencing homelessness. Long Beach uses a communitywide count of people staying in shelters and locations not intended for habitation, along with an optional survey that collects information about people’s housing histories and service needs.
More people counted overall, but a smaller unsheltered share
Of the 3,729 people counted, 2,588 were unsheltered and 1,141 were staying in shelters or interim housing. The sheltered total was 152 people higher than in 2025, a 15.4% increase.
Unsheltered homelessness represented 69.4% of the 2026 total, down from 72.5% in 2025. That was the lowest unsheltered share recorded in the past four years. The sheltered share rose from 27.5% to 30.6%.
The lower unsheltered share does not mean total homelessness declined. The overall count rose by 134 people, from 3,595 in 2025 to 3,729 in 2026. The city report connects the higher sheltered count with expanded shelter and interim-housing resources, but the figures alone do not establish that shelter growth caused the overall increase.
The official report says the city’s shelter inventory grew from 1,357 beds in early 2025 to 1,521 beds by the end of 2025. It also reports that 1,702 people moved into permanent housing during 2025.
Chronic homelessness and recent entries increased
The 2026 report found that 58% of people counted met the definition of chronic homelessness, up from 46.7% in 2025. The definition covers people with a disabling condition who experienced homelessness continuously for at least one year or through repeated episodes totaling more than 12 months over a three-year period.
The share of people newly experiencing homelessness also increased, from 10.9% to 12.4%. The report defines that group as people who entered their current episode within the previous year. It includes people experiencing homelessness for the first time and people who had experienced homelessness before but recently returned. The report notes that the 2025 comparison figure was corrected from an earlier published estimate of 16% to 10.9%.
Long Beach Post reported that the city’s Multi-Service Center and local shelter operators continue to face significant demand. The publication reported that the center saw more than 3,000 new people in 2025, with an average of 129 daily visitors and 20 to 30 first-time visitors each day. Shelter operators also described turning away some people when beds or appropriate placements were unavailable.
The city report says more than 300 volunteers helped conduct the January 22 count. It also says that 50.9% of survey respondents reported losing their last stable housing outside Long Beach, while 49.1% reported losing it in the city.
Funding recommendations are still pending
The next major local step is the Continuum of Care’s review and ranking of projects for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fiscal 2026 competition. The process will determine which local projects Long Beach includes in its application, but the current strategy documents do not represent final HUD awards.
A July 10 city memo recommends reallocating projects placed in Tier 2 toward transition or new projects aligned with HUD’s funding structure. For planning purposes, the memo estimates that Long Beach could have about $4.88 million in Tier 2 renewal exposure. It also says the estimate will be updated after HUD releases its annual renewal-demand report.
The city’s Continuum of Care webpage lists written notification to applicants about projects accepted, rejected or reduced for August 11, 2026. Long Beach’s application to HUD is due August 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. Pacific time.
Residents, service providers and applicants should watch those deadlines for the next concrete decisions. The count shows that Long Beach’s reported homeless population increased, while more people were counted in shelter or interim housing and the unsheltered share fell. It also shows a larger share of people experiencing chronic homelessness and a higher share whose current episode began within the previous year.
The city updated the report’s unsheltered-homelessness graph on July 23 to correct its y-axis. Long Beach said the correction did not change the underlying data or percentages.
Sources
- City of Long Beach 2026 Homeless Point-in-Time Count Report
- Long Beach Post reporting on the 2026 count
Look for updates to this story
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.