Homelessness A Top Concern Among Manhattan Beach Locals: Survey

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Homelessness is a top concern for Manhattan Beach residents, according to a citywide survey released this month from the city of Manhattan Beach.

Results of the Community Opinion Survey were shared at the City Council meeting on Feb. 15. The randomized, scientifically reliable survey was conducted in December 2021 and gave residents the opportunity to provide feedback on their satisfaction levels with local government services, as well as funding priorities.

"Although homelessness is often identified as a high-ranked priority to improve cities, respondents did not identify addressing homelessness as a key issue within Manhattan Beach," according to a city statement.

Respondents indicated the importance of incorporating strategies for addressing homelessness in Los Angeles County, including joining with other cities and the county to create more regional homeless shelters; enhancing lighting and modifying benches in public space; providing funding for mental health facilities street outreach, and housing placement; and providing counseling and rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addiction.

The survey found that nearly 9 out of 10 Manhattan Beach residents (88 percent) are pleased with the city’s overall efforts to provide municipal services.

“To best serve our community, it’s important we seek input from residents about their opinions of City services and budget priorities,” City Manager Bruce Moe said.

Here are several key conclusions that indicate residents value culture, lifestyle, and safety:

• 94 percent of respondents favorably reviewed the overall quality of life in Manhattan Beach.
• 93 percent indicated residents perceived Manhattan Beach as a safe place to live.
• More than 8 out of 10 respondents gave excellent or good marks to Manhattan Beach as a place to recreate (85 percent), raise a family (84 percent), and as a place to shop and dine (81 percent).

The most important assets to be preserved that the community identified include:

• Small town feel and charming beach community;
• Public safety and low crime rates;
• The beach and ocean;
• Cleanliness, appearance, and the overall beauty of the city; and
• Community and family-friendly atmosphere.

The following city services were identified as most important to the residents:

• Maintaining parks and open space (96 percent).
• Providing emergency medical services (92 percent).
• Maintaining sewer and storm drain systems (92 percent).
• Maintaining a low crime rate (91 percent).
• Providing fire protection and prevention services (90 percent).

Additionally, residents cited they were satisfied with the level of service provided by the city. Respondents were most satisfied with the city’s efforts to:

• Provide medical services (99 percent very or somewhat satisfied).
• Provide fire protection and prevention services (97 percent).
• Remove graffiti (96 percent).
• Provide services and programs for seniors (95 percent).
• Provide a variety of special events and recreation programs (95 percent).

Manhattan Beach City employees received high marks on each dimension of customer service tested. Ninety-three percent felt that employees were professional, 89 percent said they were accessible, and 85 percent considered staff helpful.

“I am pleased that Manhattan Beach residents are satisfied with our services,” City Manager Bruce Moe said in a statement.

“This is reflective of the professional, dedicated efforts of our employees who work hard serving the community day in and day out," Moe said. "They ensure Manhattan Beach is a safe, clean, and family-friendly place to live, recreate, and visit.”

The survey indicates important feedback for the city, he added.

“The data is a key tool in helping us identify our areas of success, and recognize areas of opportunity and improvement in the future," Moe said.

Areas for improvement

While the overall quality of City services and safety of Manhattan Beach was highly ranked, when asked what the community would change to enhance city services, improvements to public safety and more police presence was the feedback most received. Following improvements to public safety was addressing parking issues, enforcing traffic and e-bike laws, and limiting growth and development.

Additionally, with respect to overall quality of life services in Manhattan Beach, perceptions of the city’s efforts to enforce code violations such as construction ordinances, no-smoking regulations, noise ordinances, and dog laws were cited as areas for improvement.

Several projects were identified as top priorities among community members — if funding becomes available include maintenance and infrastructure. Fixing potholes, and repairing and improving streets and sidewalks is the top priority, followed by repairing and upgrading the city’s sewer and wastewater systems, and improving the maintenance of parks and amenities including restrooms, sports courts, and dog runs. Residents may also support redesigning public spaces to allow for outdoor dining, and additional park and recreation facility renovations. However, the items are a lower priority in comparison to the city’s maintenance and infrastructure projects.

The City of Manhattan Beach contracted with True North, Inc. to conduct the survey, which captured the opinions of a representative sample of 560 randomly selected residents, which is typical of a city the size of Manhattan Beach. The margin of error was + 4.1 percent, which means that if the entire population of adults were surveyed 95 percent would rate city services similar to the report findings.

See the Community Opinion Survey Summary for a comprehensive look at the survey results.