Long Beach to Open a Temporary Emergency Homeless Shelter with 85+ Beds

LONG BEACH — The city will open a temporary emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness at the end of April. The new emergency shelter, located at 702 W. Anaheim St., will have space for more than 85 beds and will serve as a critical resource for people experiencing homelessness after the Community Hospital Winter Shelter concludes operations at the end of April, per the lease agreement. People who are currently sheltering at the Community Hospital site will receive priority to receive placement at the emergency shelter.

Mayor Rex Richardson said while shelters like this are critical resources, city efforts must also focus on connections into permanent housing. Those who participate in the shelter program can work closely with a case manager to work toward these permanent opportunities.

In an ongoing response to the city’s State of Emergency on Homelessness, opening an emergency shelter site will help ensure that the city can support people experiencing homelessness with access to ongoing care and services with the goal of connecting them into permanent supportive housing. Prior to finalization of the new emergency shelter, the City looked at available facilities within the city of Long Beach with minimal impact to the surrounding community and determined that this location was the most viable option based on the space and features available to meet the operational needs of the shelter. This location was also used several years ago as a site for the Winter Shelter Program.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/LB-temporary-shelter