PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach has expanded its LB Resource Line, an informational hotline that provides free and confidential support to anyone who lives, works, learns or plays in Long Beach and needs assistance finding and accessing local community resources and social services. The LB Resource Line launched in March 2020 during the COVID-19 Safer-At-Home health orders to connect older adults to critical pandemic-related information, resources and services. The line has now expanded its services to provide support to all Long Beach residents, and callers can now connect in real time with a professionally trained Resource Navigator for support.

“The expansion of our Resource Line is a valuable addition to the City’s supportive services and will continue to provide residents a starting point when they aren’t sure where to begin,” said Mayor Robert Garcia.

The LB Resource Line is available by calling 562.570.4246 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Callers who are unable to connect to a Resource Navigator during normal business hours may leave a voicemail and their call will be returned within 24 hours. Residents can also submit an Assistance Request Form online to connect with a Resource Navigator and receive information and assistance in topics such as:

• Housing
• Food access
• Physical and mental health
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Legal Aid

Resource Navigators are trained and knowledgeable staff members from the Department of Health and Human Services who collect basic information from callers to help locate nearby resources, assess eligibility, and share relevant information that meet the caller's needs. Once resources are identified, callers can reach out to the agency or organization themselves or, with proper consent, allow the Resource Navigator to share their information directly with the service provider for a faster response via Unite Us, an online coordinated care network of health and social service providers and referral platform. Resource Navigators are bilingual in English and Spanish and can assist callers in other languages through interpreters.

Prior to this expansion, callers were only able to receive assistance by leaving a voicemail or submitting their contact information online. Now that the LB Resource Line has transitioned to a standard hotline, callers can be connected to resources and information more efficiently. Since March 2020, the LB Resource Line has facilitated over 6,500 calls for support.

More information about the LB Resource Line is available at longbeach.gov/resourceline.

This program is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act, a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for Long Beach residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 3.2 million in funding has been allocated to support basic needs infrastructure, which includes connecting community members to key resources. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.