Central Long Beach Overview
Long Beach is the second busiest seaport in the United States and, not surprisingly, has some of the highest levels of particulate matter and ozone in the country. Thus, the prevalence of asthma is high. With funding from The California Endowment, Long Beach's Community Action to Fight Asthma collaborative is making great strides in addressing this health issue. Along with committed political leadership in the community, Long Beach is working to improve its air quality.
This vibrant port community is in many ways ahead of curve when it comes to being progressive, but still many challenges remain that serve as barriers to community health. Median household income has plummeted in the last 20 years, dropping 40 percent from $34,267 to $20,466. The high prevalence of low-income families is exacerbated by a 17 percent unemployment rate, which is significantly higher than the statewide average. Furthermore, educational attainment is low for adults with only 37 percent of adults 25 or older with a high school diploma.
However, the Long Beach community and its leadership are working to change these challenging statistics. The Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach Community College and California State University, Long Beach, established the "Long Beach College Promise" to prepare youth and provide a college education to every student. The initiative and its programming will begin with students entering 6th grade in '08-'09.
In addition, Long Beach has a dynamic and responsive health care system that in conjunction with community groups and advocacy coalitions is working to reduce levels of diabetes and obesity. Other assets include Long Beach Unified School District, which is one of the most highly regarded districts in the state, if not the nation. It has been a finalist for the Broad Prize in Urban Education four times and is very involved in bringing health-related efforts to address student health issues and improve academic performance.
Long Beach is also an area that has benefited from significant foundation funding, with investments by the California Wellness Foundation to help fund direct services to communities in need. In addition, both the Annenberg Foundation and the Atlas Family Foundation have made investments in education and youth development - areas critical to this community's success.
The California Endowment will concentrate on the central section of Long Beach where need is most prevalent. And while much work needs to be done, the building blocks of a healthy community are beginning to coalesce. And with The California Endowment's support over the next ten years, we are both hopeful and optimistic that this city will become a model healthy community.
------------------
For the latest info and documentation on what's happening in the Central Long Beach Building Healthy Communities effort, visit the CalConnect:
>BHC Central Long Beach Group