The temporary migrant shelter that opened at the Long Beach Convention Center on Thursday, April 22, for children who were found at the border without parents could be a financial boon for the community, experts say.
An analysis that two local economists published this week found the effort could contribute up to $40 million to Long Beach’s economy.
Robert Kleinhenz, the principal economist at Kleinhenz Economics, and Seiji Steimetz, research director for Cal State Long Beach’s Office of Economic Research, found that government employees, volunteers and family members of children at the shelter will significantly contribute financially to the city. In addition to spending money in local restaurants — the federal government’s per diem for workers here, for example, is $66 — folks coming here because of the shelter operations will also need up to 900 nights of hotel stays.
