Community advocates rally for immigrant and housing protections to be included in Long Beach’s budget

Long Beach residents and advocates gathered outside City Hall Tuesday morning to demand major revisions to the city’s proposed budget.

The press conference took place at 10 a.m. on August 12 and drew a crowd of community leaders, advocates and directly-impacted residents who spoke out against what they describe as gaps in the City of Long Beach’s fiscal plans—specifically the lack of sufficient funding for immigrant protections, eviction defense services and permanently affordable housing.

Advocates are calling for the city to allocate $2.2 million in new, structural funding for the Long Beach Justice Fund, which provides legal representation and deportation defense for immigrants. They are demanding $2 million to bolster eviction defense services, as thousands of tenants face increasing rents and the end of COVID-era protections. Finally, they are calling for $400,000 for the Long Beach Community Land Trust, which secures land for permanently affordable housing.

Although the city is set to receive nearly $17 million from Measure A funds, the eviction defense program will only receive $1.5 million. “While we are thankful for this allocation, it is not enough,” said Lilly Piedra, Outreach and Education Manager at Long Beach Residents Empowered, LiBRE. 

Piedra also spoke to the risks that many locals are currently facing due to landlords disregarding tenant rights. “There’s a common misconception that evictions only happen when tenants have done something wrong — that’s often not the case,” Piedra said. “Many of these tenants are forced out because they can’t afford legal counsel.”

Tuesday’s action also comes amid growing concern about the spread of immigration raids across the region, including in neighboring Los Angeles and Orange counties. Organizers say the city budget does not currently reflect the needs of its most vulnerable residents.

“Our neighbors are living in fear,” said Deonna Knowles, Community Organizer with the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy.  “They're being taken from their homes or off the street by ICE, and many of those are also facing eviction. These crises are happening at the same time.” 

Meanwhile, the city’s rising cost of living and stagnant wages are pushing working-class families to the brink. A report released in 2021 from the Southern California Housing Rights Alliance found that Long Beach now has one of the highest eviction filing rates in Los Angeles County.

While the city has signaled support for general housing and immigrant relief efforts, advocates argue that the budget allocations, as they currently stand, are not sufficient. 

Local organizations like Long Beach Community Land Trust (CLT) are working towards creating new opportunities for affordable homeownership and stewarding land and housing, as a community.

"With Measure A funds coming into Long Beach, we’re calling on the City to invest in truly innovative housing,” said Nazir Abuyounes, Community Land Trust director. Abuyounes told CALÓ News that they are calling for “housing that is permanent, affordable and accessible, regardless of immigration status or credit score."

Members of the CLT state that they aim to build an ecosystem for community ownership as a means to prevent displacement, keep people rooted in their neighborhoods. However, they must first secure funding to do so. 

City officials are expected to revisit discussions about the city budget in the coming weeks. Organizers say they are prepared to continue pressing the issue as budget negotiations continue.

"This is about more than housing — it’s about self-determination. It’s about communities being able to decide together what their future looks like” said Abuyounes.