Long Beach’s much-anticipated year-round shelter might be in north Long Beach, pending city-council approval, after a press conference this week from city officials.
On Monday, Jan. 28, the City of Long Beach and 9th District Councilmember Rex Richardson announced an acquisition agreement made with a north Long Beach property owner at 6841-6845 Atlantic Ave., also known as “Atlantic Farms.”
The final sale, which will be pending city-council approval on Feb. 5, will pave the way for a campus of supportive services for people experiencing homelessness, including a year-round homeless shelter with 125 beds.
“This is truly a transcendent moment for Long Beach,” Richardson said. “By taking the lead and addressing the homelessness crisis head-on, we’re not only demonstrating compassion for families, students and veterans in need, but setting the stage for a transformational project here in north Long Beach. This is a game-changing opportunity to create a best-in-class campus that connects comprehensive health and wellness with economic development, housing opportunities and new amenities for the whole community.”
If the sale is approved by city council, the City’s Economic Development Department will convene a visioning task force for the property. The task force will develop recommendations on what services, amenities and facilities, beyond the year-round shelter, would be best suited for the campus to serve the community and people experiencing homelessness, according to city officials. It will also explore potential public-private partnerships and mixed-use development opportunities.
“We are going to use $3.4 million of Measure H revenue to transform the Atlantic Farms site into a state-of-the-art facility that, not only provides shelter, but also connects people with the supportive services they need to escape homelessness,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn at the press conference. “This is an ambitious effort, but [it’s] no less than I would expect from the City of Long Beach, which has been on the forefront of addressing homelessness, and I am proud to lend the County’s support to this important project.”
According to city officials, the draft design of the site includes: a sleeping quarters for single adults and couples; overnight stays for families who will be linked to family shelters; accommodations for pets; a temporary storage facility; transportation to other community services; shower facilities accommodating individuals with disabilities; and colocation of program services, including life skills, job training, benefits advocacy and comprehensive case management. It is estimated that the shelter will open in June 2020.
The total purchase cost of the campus property is $9,591,540. Funds for the acquisition of the property are available from $8 million in Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP), Continuum of Care allocation funding and sale proceeds from a previous City-owned property, according to officials.
“Last year, we found permanent housing for over 1,000 people experiencing homelessness, which is a great success, but we must continue to do more,” said Kelly Colopy, health and human services director. “This future campus, that includes a year-round shelter, will make a significant difference in our ability to support those currently experiencing homelessness, but also provide important assistance to prevent people from falling into it.”
