96,150 Renters Make Long Beach Their Home

By Cory Kemp, RPNA Columnist

I’m not sure if it was the beautiful neighborhood or the people that drew us to Rose Park, but I know we don’t want to leave. This is an opinion which has been echoed by many on our street and our street is nearly all made up of renters!

It is well known that renters make up a large portion of those who call the City of Long Beach home, but how many of us are there? Well, according to the 2000 United States Census, the City of Long Beach is home to 96,150 renters, or approximately 58.96% of the city’s total population.

Recently, the Rose Park Neighborhood Assn. (RPNA) experienced an increase in the amount of renters becoming members. Some believe the increase is due to an increased awareness of the benefits that the RPNA has to offer, such as the various neighborhood activities that the RPNA has sponsored. Others attribute the increase to the large number of renters in our area wanting to get involved and make a difference.

Some people mistakenly believe that the RPNA is a homeowners association, but in fact it represents everyone who lives or has a business within the Rose Park area. For this reason, it has decided to run a regular column designed just for renters. There will be special workshops, too.

Keep your eye on this space; it is just for you!

For RPNA membership information, please visit our Web site: http://www.rpna.org.