In 2020, the City of Long Beach Development Services, along with the project team, began an 18-month public process to update the Housing Element of the General Plan, as required by State law. The Housing Element Update will build upon and revise, as appropriate, the goals, policies and programs of the existing Housing Element to ensure that the City can meet the housing needs of all Long Beach residents through 2029, when the plan is scheduled to be updated again.

The Housing Element provides the City with a roadmap for accommodating the projected number of housing units needed to house existing and future City residents and guides future decisions that impact housing.

As part of the Housing Element Update team, The Robert Group (TRG) is leading the public engagement efforts of community workshops and stakeholder focus group discussions to ensure the update reflects the interests and aspirations of residents, stakeholders, advocates and developers. TRG kicked off the project by preparing and incorporating a Public Engagement Plan (PEP) that strategically targets the unique demographics and communities within Long Beach and utilizing methods to include the many organizations and businesses involved in housing.

In light of COVID-19 restrictions, TRG is responsible for coordinating and facilitating virtual community workshops that allow the project team to engage with the community safely through interactive Zoom webinars and online Storyboards. These virtual events and online engagement allow community members to learn about the project, participate one-on-one with project team members and share their housing stories.

Additionally, TRG coordinated with local housing advocates, developers, youth groups and other stakeholder groups separately to facilitate small focus-group discussions. The focus-group discussions were designed to gain valuable input from key stakeholders regarding the City’s housing needs.