Dear Friend --

Today, the City of Long Beach opened our 4th shelter for people experiencing homelessness at Martin Luther King Jr. Park (King Park), located at 1950 Lemon Ave., as part of our ongoing efforts to provide additional shelter to those most vulnerable during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

We are very proud to open this additional shelter to provide a safe place for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. We look forward to continuing to open more shelters to help as many as we can.

The King Park facility is one of several temporary shelters to open by the City and will shelter approximately 70 additional people, with appropriate social distancing space between each bed. The facility will also provide showers, meals, snacks, recreation with social distancing, and additional social service resources that support long term housing.

Similar to the Silverado Park shelter, individuals will be urged to follow the shelter in place model to maximize safety for shelter residents. In order to receive services, individuals must first visit the Multi-Service Center, located at 1301 W. 12th St., to complete the shelter assessment and mandatory health screening. After the health screening is completed, individuals will be shuttled to the shelter location.

We also have a shelter in North Long Beach and a shelter just West of Downtown.

Shelter beds are currently being prioritized for seniors and individuals with underlying health conditions. In addition to the temporary shelters, the City is working closely with various city and county partners to provide additional resources to persons experiencing homelessness during this challenging time.

Mayor Robert Garcia