Los Angeles is reducing its augmented winter shelter system to just 328 shelter beds for unhoused residents as a super El Niño approaches, community organizations announced on Tuesday, November 10.
Super El Niño Winter Forecast
Scientists anticipate that the ongoing weather event will be historic, carrying a 75% chance of ranking as the strongest since 1950. Coastal cities in Orange County have already flooded due to record high tides.
The World Meteorological Organization declared the super El Niño underway on June 2, 2026. The event is expected to last until June 2027.
Did You Know? The surface temperature in the tropical Pacific is currently four degrees Celsius above average, while the beginning of an El Niño cycle is marked by a surface temperature rise of just 0.5 degrees Celsius.
Community organizations demand governance plans before extreme weather hits
A coalition of community organizations sent a press release on Monday, October 26, outlining demands for LA City governance. They requested a comprehensive plan before worsening weather hits the region.
“Extreme weather will impact everyone in the region; it has potentially deadly consequences for the tens of thousands who live exposed on the streets,” the press release said.
City and County websites offer basic instructions, such as acquiring free sandbags from local fire stations and making family plans. The LA County Department of Public Works has conducted door-to-door outreach for homeowners and renters, providing 233 engineering assessment sessions across the county.
When asked about unhoused populations, the LA City Emergency Management Department directed inquiries to the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority and the Department of Public Works. Joseph River, public information officer for the EMD, said that the department has hosted online webinars and scheduled in-person town halls beginning in early November.
“The Emergency Management Department has been hosting a series of well-attended online webinars in recent weeks, open to the public,” said River in an email.
Lessons From Past Disasters
Advocates point to past environmental crises, including earthquakes, droughts, mudslides, and the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades Fires, as evidence of institutional failures to protect vulnerable groups. During previous natural disasters, LAHSA directed unhoused people to call the 211 health and community services hotline.
Peggy Lee Kennedy of the CD11 Coalition for Human Rights described that past protocol as inadequate. Callers faced hours on hold only to be told that no shelter beds or hotel rooms remained.
“It was cruel and inhumane,” Kennedy told. “Nobody should have been told to wait on 211, and then they’re told, ‘Oh, we’ll put you on the wait list,’ or, ‘We’re out of hotels.’”
The January 2025 wildfires also exposed disparities in regional disaster infrastructure. While fire departments concentrated efforts on the affluent Palisades community, Altadena was largely left to fend for itself. Fahren James described conditions at the Pasadena Convention Center shelter as substandard.
“They made that Convention Center so uncomfortable, and I feel like it was by design,” said James.
Questions about super El Niño and Los Angeles shelter beds
When did the World Meteorological Organization declare the super El Niño?
The World Meteorological Organization declared the super El Niño underway on June 2, 2026, with conditions expected to last until June 2027.
How many shelter beds has Los Angeles allocated for unhoused people during this event?
Los Angeles is collapsing its augmented winter shelter system into just 328 shelter beds for unhoused residents.
What specific outreach has the LA County Department of Public Works provided to residents?
The LA County Department of Public Works has conducted door-to-door outreach offering free engineering assessments, providing 233 sessions to property owners and renters across the county.
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