Department of
Health & Human Services

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach 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.

“This temporary shelter will allow us to continue to provide for people experiencing homelessness with a safe, warm place to sleep, food and access to essential services,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “While shelters like this are critical resources, our efforts must also focus on connections into permanent housing. Those who participate in our 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.

“We are confident this temporary emergency shelter will provide relief to some existing shelter program participants and others who may be seeking shelter in the next few weeks and months,” said First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas. “The First District is proud to do our part and host this facility in the hopes of helping our unhoused neighbors find a pathway to permanent housing.”

In addition to amenities including three meals per day, onsite showers and restrooms, an enclosed outdoor area and space for service animals and pets under 30 pounds, shelter participants will also have access to a variety of services, including housing-focused case management, screening for housing programs, referrals to year-round shelter programs, assistance obtaining identification and documents and connections to behavioral health resources. The emergency shelter will be operated by the nonprofit organization First to Serve Outreach Ministries and will operate for a period of three months, from April 28 through July 28, 2023, with the possibility for services to be extended at the site in the future. While the shelter will currently operate temporarily, it may be considered for a permanent shelter facility in the future.

Prior to finalization, the City conducted community outreach to residents, businesses, nonprofit and community organizations and other key stakeholders to share information and plans about the proposed shelter and also hosted a community meeting on April 13 where residents could learn more and share their input. If the City were to look at extending the utilization of the site, a separate outreach process would occur regarding any future use of the site past July 28, 2023.

The temporary emergency shelter will be funded by a mix of City and Los Angeles County funds, covering the building lease, shelter operations, services, transportation and security services.

In order to access emergency shelter services, people will first need a referral from the Multi-Service Center (MSC) or Mobile Access Center in order to access the shelter. Participants will be able to access the Emergency Shelter via the shuttle bus, which will make daily pick-ups at the MSC, located at 1301 W. 12th St. in the mornings and will return people to the shelter in the evenings.

More information about the emergency shelter is available on the FAQs, with additional information about other shelter beds and interim housing offered by the City and its partners at longbeach.gov/homelessness/homeless-services.

This action was put in place in accordance with the Emergency Powers granted to the City Manager through the Proclamation of Local Emergency related to homelessness.

For more information on the City’s efforts to reduce homelessness in Long Beach, people may visit longbeach.gov/homelessness and follow @lbhealthdept and @longbeachcity on social media and follow the hashtag #EveryoneHomeLB.