How To Find Shelters Now Open For Winter In LA County

L.A. County is providing more than 300 shelter beds for those who want to get out of the bad weather this winter through its Winter Shelter Program. Most of the beds are available at six of the 11 shelter locations through March.

When the weather is especially cold and rainy, a few dozen extra beds are available at Weather-Activated Shelters. Those open if at least two of the following conditions exist:

• Two consecutive days where daytime temperature highs are below 50 degrees
• Nighttime lows are below 40 degrees
• One or more consecutive days of heavy rainfall

With a storm in the forecast next week, LAHSA Chief Program Officer Molly Rysman anticipates needing those beds.

“We're monitoring the weather every day right now to figure out if we're going to keep them open over the weekend. Or if they'll close and then reopen on Monday when the storm hits,” Rysman said.

LAHSA also provides a "Find A Shelter" app that helps anyone in need of shelter to find an available bed. The following shelters are currently listed and information is also available in Spanish.

Winter Shelters

Pacoima Church

• Provider: Hope of the Valley
• Location: Confidential, please call
• Phone: (818) 257-8521
• Beds: 57
• Co-ed

Weingart Center

• Provider: Weingart Assn.
• Location: 566 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, 90013
• Phone: (213) 689-2152
• Beds: 49
• Co-ed

Athens Park

• Provider: Home At Last
• Location: 12603 S.Broadway Los Angeles, 90061
• Phone: (213) 689-2152
• Beds: 63
• Co-ed

Bryant Temple Women's Shelter

• Provider: Bryant Temple CDC
• Location: 12514 W. Vernon Ave Los Angeles, 90047
• Phone: (323) 792-4162
• Beds: 20
• Women

Long Beach WSP

• Provider: Volunteers of America
• Location: 1718-1722 Hayes St., Long Beach, 90813
• Phone: (213) 328-9928
• Beds: 45
• Co-ed

HAL Facility

• Provider: Home at Last
• Location: 8311 S. Western Ave Los Angeles, 90047
• Phone: (323) 909-5913
• Beds: 30
• Women

Weather-Activated Shelters

Glassell Park

• Provider: First to Serve
• Location: 3650 Verdugo Rd., Long Angeles, 90065
• Phone: (424) 542-1373
• Beds: 30
• Co-ed

Alondra Park

• Provider: Home at Last
• Location: 3535 Redondo Beach Blvd., Torrance, 90501
• Phone: (888) 527-9797
• Beds: 37
• Co-ed

Barriers To Seeking Shelter

Unhoused activist Theo Henderson says there are a lot of barriers to using the winter shelters, including a two-bag limit.

“You have to basically give up all types of freedoms and all types of mobility and autonomy to just navigate that,” Henderson said.

Rysman says that LAHSA has been able to address some of those barriers, such as allowing service animals.

Those who need a bed must call ahead for availability and use a designated shuttle. For more information on reserving a bed and shuttle locations, people can call the Winter Shelter hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (800) 548-6047.