Winter shelter in East Long Beach now open to homeless people

Long Beach, California – Homelessness remains a persistent problem in the United States. There are many causes of homelessness, including poverty, unemployment, a lack of affordable housing, etc. The number of people experiencing homelessness on any given night in 2020 was estimated to be 567,715.

The rate of homelessness not only increases throughout the U.S., but it also increases in Long Beach as well. A city count that took place in February showed that the number of people living on the streets increased by 62% between 2020 and 2022. Over 3,000 people were found to be homeless in Long Beach, with nearly 70% of those people being unsheltered.

And as the local government is working to address the issue, they must also respond to the immediate needs that arise during the winter months, therefore they are opening winter shelters. Homeless people in Long Beach are now able to use the winter shelter at Community Hospital in East Long Beach through the end of March. The shelter will provide meals to participants and will serve 81 people each night.

Shelter participants can only access the Winter Shelter via the Winter Shelter bus, which will make daily pick-ups at the Long Beach Multi-Service Center (1301 W. 12th St.) in the early evening and provide transportation back to the Multi-Service Center in the mornings. People will not be able to walk up to the shelter site for services. Unless a special accommodation is needed, such as for work, medical appointments, or ADA accommodations, people will not be able to leave the shelter except on the shuttle bus. For the safety of shelter participants and the community, security will be on site 24/7.