PRESS RELEASE

Updated March 7 at 1 p.m. - The below has been revised with the updated MAC locations for Mondays and Thursdays. MAC service locations may change within the general vicinity due to a multitude of reasons. For an up-to-date schedule, visit longbeach.gov/homelessness.

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach will continue to deploy its Mobile Access Center (MAC) through March, this month focusing on service areas throughout Long Beach. This outreach will continue to allow Homeless Services Bureau staff to conduct meaningful engagement and continue to build relationships, an essential component in increasing access to resources and services.

Beginning Monday, March 6, the MAC will be stationed at the following locations from 9 a.m. to noon:

• Mondays – North Los Altos Shopping Center, parking lot northeast of Stearns Street and Bellflower Boulevard intersection.
• Tuesdays – Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), Atlantic Avenue side of park.
• Wednesdays – Billie Jean King Main Library (200 W. Broadway), Pacific Avenue side of Library.
• Thursdays – North Los Altos Shopping Center, parking lot northeast of Stearns Street and Bellflower Boulevard intersection.
• Fridays – Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), parking lot located off Myrtle Avenue.

A variety of factors, including years of contact data, distance from the Multi-Service Center (MSC), and service accessibility, were taken into consideration when selecting the new service areas. Data show that some people are contacted 10 or more times before becoming open to receiving services, which is why deploying the MAC is critical to the City’s emergency response efforts and mission to reduce the number of residents experiencing homelessness. The MAC significantly lowers barriers to providing case management services and other resources for people experiencing homelessness. Unlike other forms of street outreach, the MAC allows outreach staff to start the intake process right on the street and offers nearly everything available at the MSC.

As of Feb. 27, the MAC has reached 414 people experiencing homelessness and connected 204 people to services, including referral and transport to shelter, enrollment into the homeless services system, connections to community resources, and basic medical services.

An additional MAC will be announced in the coming weeks, which will expand capacity and increase engagement by Homeless Services outreach teams to connect even more people to services and resources directly from the street.

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.

Media inquiries may be directed to City of Long Beach Joint Information Center at 562.570.NEWS or JIC@longbeach.gov.