Long Beach Briefs: Winter Shelter in W. LB and Field Command Center Responds to Homelessness

Additional Winter Shelter Doubling City’s Capacity to Open in West Long Beach 

LONG BEACH —The city will open an additional winter shelter in February in an effort to increase access to critical shelter and resources for people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach. The new shelter will open at Silverado Park in West Long Beach and will operate in partnership with Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority or LAHSA and First to Serve Outreach Ministries, the nonprofit that also operates the city’s other winter shelter in East Long Beach, which opened in December 2022.

The Silverado Park shelter, which will be located in the gym, will serve 84 people and operate 24 hours per day through May 29. It will provide protection from inclement weather, housing-focused case management, screening for housing programs, referrals to year-round shelter programs, three meals per day, on-site showers and restrooms and various activities to increase engagement.

However, the city is facing criticism from community members who held a rally Feb. 11. They say the transformation was done without public input.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/LB-opens-additional-shelter and https://www.longbeach.gov/homelessness 

City Establishes Field Command Center in Response to Homelessness 

LONG BEACH —The City of Long Beach recently established a Field Command Center or FCC in effort to provide immediate and critical support and resources in the city’s homelessness emergency response. The FCC will serve as a location for the city’s interdepartmental team to further coordinate planning and services for the downtown area. The FCC plays a supportive role in the response to homelessness in Long Beach.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/homelessness-emergency and longbeach.gov/homelessness