Department of
Health & Human Services

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach has opened a temporary emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness. The new emergency shelter opened on April 27 and holds more than 85 beds, offers a variety of onsite amenities and access to services, and will serve as a critical resource moving forward after the Community Hospital Winter Shelter concludes operations today, per the lease agreement.  

In order to access emergency shelter services, people will first need a referral from the Multi-Service Center (MSC) or Mobile Access Center (MAC) 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 (1301 W. 12th St.) in the mornings and will return people to the shelter in the evenings. Prior to concluding operations, existing Winter Shelter participants were notified of their opportunity to receive priority placement at the emergency shelter and 55 people accepted.

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 nonprofit organization First to Serve Outreach Ministries will manage the shelter’s day-to-day operations.

The emergency shelter is located at 702 W. Anaheim St. and will operate for a period of three months, now through July 28, 2023, with the possibility for services to be extended at the site in the future. The City first announced the shelter’s anticipated operations earlier this month.

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.

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.

Media inquiries may be directed to the City of Long Beach Joint Information Center at 562.570.NEWS or JIC@longbeach.gov.