Addressing Homelessness: SAMOSHEL expanded hours give first responders a 24/7 resource for assisting unhoused individuals
May 10, 2024 2:57 PM
by Heather Averick
If you live in Santa Monica, chances are you have driven by the white, tent-like structure of SAMOSHEL, the city’s homeless shelter, on Olympic Boulevard next to the freeway.
SAMOSHEL, operated by local homeless service provider The People Concern, offers shelter and wrap-around services to help unhoused Santa Monicans begin to rebuild their lives and transition into permanent housing.
In the most recent city budget, the City Council allocated full funding for the operation of SAMOSHEL, ensuring the city has access to all 60 beds. In addition, the new funding allowed for updates to the building which enabled SAMOSHEL to accept referrals 24 hours a day, seven days a week from Santa Monica first responders.
The expanded hours allow for first responders to connect people experiencing homelessness to shelter overnight, when most other facilities are closed. This means more people will be able to access shelter when they need it, and first responders will have another resource available for addressing homelessness and maintaining a clean and safe community.
SAMOSHEL recently completed renovations to create a separate intake area so that current shelter residents will not be disturbed by middle-of-the-night intakes, and they have already begun accepting overnight intakes.
“We are working cross-departmentally and with our nonprofit partner organizations to provide the resources needed to best help individuals experiencing homelessness in our city to move into shelter to have a safe space to sleep and support them on their pathway out of homelessness,” said Housing and Human Services Director Heather Averick.
“Extending SAMOSHEL's operational hours to 24/7 marks a crucial step in our mission to support our unhoused neighbors,” said Shareipha Myvett, The People Concern’s senior director of interim housing. "With around-the-clock referrals in collaboration with our partners and the city of Santa Monica, we ensure that our doors are always open, providing safe and immediate support."
Expanding SAMOSHEL’s hours is just one of the many ways the city of Santa Monica is working to address homelessness. To learn more about the city’s efforts, please visit the Addressing Homelessness page.
Authored By
Heather Averick
Director of Housing and Human Services