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As the latest hitch in a years-long delay, Long Beach’s homelessness bureau announced this week it will not build its “tiny homes” project at Willow Springs Park.
Instead, officials said in a release, it is “shifting focus” toward construction of interim housing for students enrolled at Long Beach City College.
While the decision was publicly announced Monday, plans to scrap the latest location quietly formed in April, after a land survey found it would cost about $10.6 million to excavate 8 feet of unsuitable soil, construct admin buildings and install auxiliaries, as the space was otherwise vacant.
Despite considering the site for eight months, the city never submitted an application to the state, which is providing grant funding for the project.
It is the latest turn in a long struggle, as city housing experts have spent two years searching for a location to install 33 modular homes meant to be quickly constructed to help ease Long Beach’s homeless shelter crunch.
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The city first received the $5.6 million — $4 million for capital construction costs and $1.6 million for operation — from the state in August 2022.
Officials initially aimed to land the homes next to the Long Beach’s homeless services hub, called the Multi-Service Center, but retracted the idea after it was found that pollutants and noise from the nearby rail construction made the space unfit for living.
The location then shifted to a 6-acre parcel at California Avenue and East Springs Street near Willow Springs Park, to be a temporary home until another spot could be found. Once constructed, the homes would have been 120 square feet, assembled quickly at a fraction of the cost to construct permanent homes. But that site also proved untenable.
Money was also earmarked for the 78-room Luxury Inn Motel in North Long Beach, which has also been delayed.
Alvin Teng, a spokesperson for the city’s homelessness bureau, said about $800,000 remains of the capital funds awarded by the state. That money may not be enough to complete the tiny homes project.
“If approved, the City intends to transfer the remainder of the capital funds and all of the operating subsidies to LBCC to support this project,” he added. “Depending on the necessary site improvements, LBCC may require additional funding to support the construction phase of the project.”
Early talks began with the college in March. Stacey Toda, a spokesperson for the college, said Monday that LBCC trustees at their recent board retreat authorized the school to “explore the possibility” to build transitional housing at its Trades, Technology, and Community Learning Campus (formerly the Pacific Coast Campus) for unhoused students.
“The Board will entertain further discussion, pending the results of investigation by LBCC to determine safety and costs associated with placing units on campus,” Toda wrote. “It is not clear when the results of this research will be reported back to the Board of Trustees.”
No alternate sites are being reviewed at this time, Teng said.
If the college decides to move forward with the project, the two entities would submit an application to the state, but not before each side has community forums to adopt the acceptance of the grant funds through resolution. “The dates for those items are yet to be determined,” Toda wrote.
Units will be downsized, according to a press release, to 100 square feet (previously at 120 square feet), but will still include amenities like a bed, bathroom, lighting, electricity, air conditioning and storage. Several units will be ADA-accessible, and supportive services will be provided, officials said, to transition students into permanent housing.
State officials confirmed Thursday that student housing is allowed within the requirements of the state grant, California’s Homekey program. It is unclear, however, how long it will take before construction begins, as the city will likely need to resubmit design plans.
Alicia Murillo at California Housing and Community Development said that modular homes have already been purchased “to meet the tight Homekey timelines.”
“We are also working with the City to submit a board resolution, updated information including an environmental report, relocation information, site control info, etc.,” Murillo wrote. “We are working closely with them to confirm this site will be viable.”
Housing insecurity is an increasing problem on college campuses across the United States, but it’s particularly troublesome in California.
In a 2023 survey of a half million students, California Community Colleges found that nearly two-thirds of students faced housing insecurity and 19% had at some point been homeless.
At Long Beach City College, 169 students self-reported they were homeless at some point during the spring 2024 semester while 578 others admitted to requesting rental assistance. This trends with an earlier poll in 2023 of 5,000 LBCC students, which found more than half reported being cost-burdened while nearly one in five students said they experienced homelessness within the past year.
In a statement Monday, Mayor Rex Richardson pitched the pivot as an opportune route “in the long run.”
“It’s absolutely critical that we continue to support young people in our city, as they will be the ones that shape the future of Long Beach,” Richardson wrote.
Meanwhile, the parcel near Willow Springs Park will become official park space “in perpetuity,” Fifth District Councilwoman Megan Kerr said Monday.
“As we all know, when one door closes, another opens,” Kerr said.