The Long Beach Winter Shelter, which shields people experiencing homelessness from cold weather and provides shelter, food and safety during the coldest time of the year will open today. The 125-bed facility in West Long Beach is operated in partnership with The United States Veterans Initiative (US Vets) and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).
Shelter participants can only access the Winter Shelter via the Winter Shelter bus, which will make daily pick-ups at the following locations and times:
- Long Beach Multi-Service Center (1301 W. 12th St.) – daily at 5 p.m. and 6:20 p.m.
- 14th Street Park (14th Street and Palmer Court, near Long Beach Boulevard) – 5:25 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.
- Channel Street Park and Ride (110 Underpass/Channel Street, San Pedro) – daily at 4 p.m.
Every morning, the Winter Shelter bus will drop people off where they were picked up.
The Winter Shelter will be open daily through March 31, 2020. For more information, people can call US Vets at (562) 200-7303 or the Multi-Service Center at (562) 570-4500. Other local year-round shelters in Long Beach include the Samaritan House and Lydia House, operated by the Long Beach Rescue Mission, and Project Achieve and Elizabeth Anne Seton Residence, operated by Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. The first phase of the Atlantic Avenue Bridge Housing Community, the City’s year-round shelter and permanent supportive housing community, is expected to open by June of 2020.
Throughout the year, staff from the City of Long Beach Health and Human Services Department’s Homeless Services Division and its community partners canvass Long Beach daily, engaging people who are experiencing homelessness and offering emergency shelter, transportation, access to service providers and opportunities for housing. The City also leads the Long Beach Continuum of Care (CoC), which collaborates with multiple partners, including business and neighborhood associations, nonprofit and faith-based agencies, and medical and educational institutions to proactively address homelessness.