PRESS RELEASE

The City of Long Beach 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 Winter Shelter will open at Silverado Park in West Long Beach and will operate in partnership with Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and First to Serve Outreach Ministries, the nonprofit that currently also operates the City’s other Winter Shelter in East Long Beach, which opened in December 2022.

“By opening an additional Winter Shelter in Long Beach, we are increasing our reach and providing more people with critical access to shelter, food and resources during these cold and rainy months,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We are working to combine our response efforts by increasing points of entry, making it easier for people to access the shelter.”

The new Winter Shelter at Silverado Park, which will be located in the gym, will serve 84 people and operate 24 hours per day through May 29, 2023. 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.

Shelter participants will be able to access the Winter Shelter via the Winter Shelter bus, which will make daily pick-ups at the Long Beach Multi-Service Center (MSC), located at 1301 W. 12th St., in the early evening and provide transportation back to the MSC in the mornings. The new Mobile Access Center will also serve as a point of entry, with connections to transportation services available for those needing to reach the MSC. People will not be able to walk up to the shelter site for services. For the safety of shelter participants and the community, security will be on site 24/7.

“I am pleased to host an additional emergency shelter here in the Seventh District to support our unhoused residents,” said Seventh District Councilman Roberto Uranga. “Silverado was a safe and successful site during the peak of the pandemic that offered shelter to many people experiencing homelessness and I know it will contribute greatly once again as part of our critical emergency response efforts.”

In 2020, Silverado Park was utilized as a temporary shelter and was instrumental in addressing the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and in supporting people in the community experiencing homelessness, offering critical services and resources to approximately 50 people per day.

The Long Beach Winter Shelters shield people experiencing homelessness from inclement weather and provide shelter, food, safety and services during the coldest time of the year. In addition to the Winter Shelters, the City and its partners operate 1,301 beds year-round. For more information about the Winter Shelter, people can call the Multi-Service Center at 562.570.4500 or review the FAQs.

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.