Long Beach residents living in the Carmelitos public housing will be the first to receive low-cost internet and digital-skills training as part of a three-year county program intended to help those struggling with inadequate access to the internet.

The Los Angeles County Development Authority successfully applied to become a member with ConnectHomeUSA—an initiative of a national nonprofit group called EveryoneOn—to provide digital services to low-income families.

Elisa Vásquez, spokesperson for the county’s development department, said details of the plan are still being worked out and no official start date has been finalized.

Carmelitos was selected because it’s one of the department’s largest community housing sites.

“COVID-19 has shown that disenfranchised communities are left behind,” Vásquez said. “We believed it was a good resource that’s why we went after the grant.”

Although it’s not finalized, the county’s development department is hoping to partner with the YMCA of Long Beach to carry out the digital training at Carmelitos. From there, the program will expand to 25,000 households including 41 other public housing communities, according to the county.

A 2019 study from the Public Policy Institute of California showed that while most demographic groups have seen a significant increase in broadband subscriptions at home, gaps persist for low-income, less educated, rural, Black and Latino households. According to the county, cost seems to be the major barrier.

Councilman Al Austin, who oversees the district where Carmelitos is, provided a letter of support in conjunctions with Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office to acquire this program, Austin’s chief of staff, Jonathan Kraus, told the Post.

“The digital divide is holding back families now more than ever before,” Hahn stated in a press release. “It is preventing them from working from home, doing distance learning or even safely connecting with their loved ones. With this partnership, we are going to be able to help 25,000 low-income families get online—starting with Carmelitos residents in Long Beach.”