Long Beach has officially begun work to convert a motel into a new interim housing facility for people who are homeless.
Various city officials, including Mayor Rex Richardson, recently gathered at the housing site to celebrate the start of construction. The site, formerly a Luxury Inn, 5950 Long Beach Blvd., will be converted into a 78-unit interim housing shelter as part of the state’s Project Homekey program.
Long Beach received a $30.5 million grant from Project Homekey last year — about half of which was used to buy the motel.
The other half was allocated to the city’s efforts to build 30 to 35 tiny home shelters at the Long Beach Multi-Service Center.
It will cost the city an additional $6.5 million to convert the existing Luxury Inn to the interim housing facility, according to a Wednesday, March 27, press release — which is covered by the Project Homekey grant, as well as money from the city’s general fund and Measure A revenue.
All 78 rooms within the facility will be upgraded with new bathrooms, lighting, fixtures and other amenities, the city’s news release said.
The motel will also be upgraded with disability access improvements, a new fire sprinkler system and drought-tolerant landscaping — alongside various updates to the building’s exterior.
“Today marks a significant stride forward in our efforts to expand interim housing options within our community,” Richardson said in the news release. “This initiative will provide a stable and supportive space for individuals as they pursue pathways to secure permanent housing.”
Each unit, upon construction completion, will provide residents with a new bed, dresser, table and chairs, mini-fridge and television, the press release said.
Those who move into the facility will be permitted to stay there until they are able to secure permanent housing, Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Jennifer Rice Epstein said in a Wednesday email.
“Our new Project Homekey site will not only offer a safe space to sleep and three meals a day,” Deputy City Manager Teresa Chandler said, “(but) it will also offer the level of case management that is usually only available at the Multi-Service Center.”
Construction on the new facility is expected to finish in early 2025, the city said.
