Jamies Shuford, Long Beach City Council District 7 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire – Press Telegram

Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

Name: Jamies Shuford

Current job title: President of Long Beach Homeless Coalition

Age: 59

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: None

City where you reside: Long Beach

Campaign website or social media: None

One of the main issues local leaders are grappling with is Long Beach’s current and long-term fiscal position. With major budgetary concerns on the horizon, explain your top priorities for Long Beach’s financial future and plans to achieve them. (Please answer in 200 words or less.)

If we don’t learn from our past mistakes, it will doom our future. To generate some stability, we can cut wasteful spending, reorganize departments by merging, create more private and public partnerships and aggressively pursue grants. This approach avoids drastically cutting services or immediately raising taxes.

However, my focus is on District 7. If we’re not at the table early, we’re on the menu when cuts are made. This has been the history of District 7. We have a safety net called the “Westside Promise,” and dedicated funds must reach District 7 as promised.

Long Beach residents have been sounding the alarm about the presence of federal immigration enforcement agents and operations in the city. Where do you stand on ICE/CBP actions, and how to plan to address residents’ concerns about this issue? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)

I do not support ICE/ CBP agents sweeping law-abiding individuals off our city streets. As a city resident and city leader of Long Beach, this isn’t morally right. The intent was to remove the worst of the worst, but we are witnessing innocent individuals who do not fit that profile. As a city leader and resident, I will ensure our residents have access to the services that the city has in place and offer suggestions to make those services better for our community members to feel safe.

Homelessness and affordable housing continue to be a top issue for Long Beach residents. What is your position on the city’s current efforts to reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing availability, and how do you plan to improve these efforts? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)

As someone with lived experience in homelessness, the city of Long Beach gave me a place to call home, and I moved to the Westside into the Century Villages at Cabrillo community. Today, I serve as president of the Long Beach Homeless Coalition and as a board member of Continuum of Care, after previously serving as co-chair, because I never gave up on our unhoused neighbors.

I’ve seen that the system the city has put in place can work. Nothing is perfect, and there is always room to improve it; I’m living proof. That starts with stronger outreach, meeting people where they are and helping those ready to transition into housing, even if that placement is outside of Long Beach.

At the same time, the city should continue building affordable housing where it’s environmentally safe for neighborhoods. Always, with the right coordination and support, we can help more people move into stable housing with dignity.

What is the biggest issue your district specifically faces, and how do you plan to address it, if elected? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)

Living on the Westside, one of my biggest concerns is the environmental quality of life, including clean air, safe streets and ensuring that our neighborhoods are not carrying more than their fair share of industrial impact. If the Westside carries the load, it should see the benefit. This includes ensuring cleaner trucks and port operations, providing street maintenance on high truck routes and creating green buffer zones between industrial and residential areas.

What experience do you bring to the table for this role? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

I’ve experienced homelessness myself, and I’ve worked my way through the very same systems that many are concerned with. I’ve been at the table where decisions are made, working with the city, nonprofits and partners to move solutions forward.