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Temporary Shelters Open To House Homeless During El Niño Rain Storms
Shelter from the storm (Photo by Mikey Wally via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
Seven new temporary homeless shelters are opening this week to offer refuge from
El Niño-related rain storms
.The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority opened four shelters on Monday and are opening three more today to temporarily house 1,131 people during the rain and cold temperatures, reports
CBS LA
. The temporary shelters are located in county-owned gyms and are spread out across the region, including Hawthorne, Sylmar, Hacienda Heights, Castaic and others. The additional beds will be added to the
2,000 beds already in place
at winter shelters set up by L.A. County, all of which will be open 24 hours a day while the weather is cold.
"These venues are designed to be operational during the most severe El Niño rainy winter weather days," LAHSA officials tell L.A. Daily News . "The opening and closing of these shelters will align with improving and worsening weather conditions throughout the winter season."
The addresses of the shelters are not made public to discourage walk-ups, according to LAHSA. Instead, those seeking shelter can call 2-1-1 or visit the LAHSA website to find pre-existing pick-up sites where transportation is provided to and from shelters.
Housing Authority officials and the Sheriff's Department are taking additional steps to reach out to people residing in flood control channels and riverbeds that are particularly vulnerable to flooding , and encouraging them to take advantage of the shelters.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
