Brought to America by his mother, Robert immigrated to the United States when he was just 5 years old. He says becoming a citizen is his proudest moment, and it’s the reason he went into public service.
Robert is most widely known for his tenure as Long Beach mayor and his leadership of the city during the worst of the pandemic.
Across America we have seen a housing crisis develop due in part to a surging economy that has driven up prices. While housing costs go up, so does the number of people experiencing homelessness. I’m proud of the hundreds of affordable homes we've built and the thousands of affordable homes we've preserved in Long Beach. We are seeing a housing boom, with several construction cranes across the city skyline. While LA County homelessness surged over 20%, Long Beach’s numbers saw a 21% decrease.
I know we can still do better in Long Beach and that’s why I commissioned a housing task force last year to give the city recommendations on how to build more housing, including for veterans, seniors, and working families. Over the next four years, I want to continue to advance those recommendations. Soon Long Beach will break ground on our tallest building in the city, over 30 floors of new housing in Downtown, and I know we can keep that momentum going.