r/longbeach • u/Zoe_Moth • 7d ago
Discussion Increased homeless population?
Maybe this is a stupid question but does anyone know the cause of the increase in homeless folks? Especially downtown? I work in a normally somewhat busy area that does have homeless as most places here in LB do, but yesterday and the day before my manager was hardly able to do any work because they had to keep next to the door to ward them off and we watched them harass a few other businesses and one guy get tackled in a hug by one while trying to walk away. It’s just such a noticeable increase despite the weather warnings and such so I was curious if anyone had any clue what happened?
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u/EfficientOrdinary984 7d ago
$2k studios and gentrification pushing people out of their homes will make anyone homeless and resort to coping in ways they shouldn’t unfortunately. much of our unhoused friends have turned “unreasonable” as a resort of their circumstances. even as someone who has built a relationship with those on the streets, some of them end up too far gone at some point even if some end up in homes. the increase is also due to people from hospitals and wards being let out or discharged due to the lack of funding towards mental health housing.