A vacant Los Angeles County clinic in San Pedro will be turned into a 24-hour emergency shelter for homeless individuals, many of whom are already camped nearby.

Supervisor Janice Hahn recommended adapting the 14,000-square-foot building at 122 W. Eighth St. near Beacon Street to accommodate 40 beds.

Operator Harbor Interfaith-San Pedro will offer three meals a day and access to case management and mental health care, according to Hahn.

“It’s an old public health facility that’s now vacant … right in downtown San Pedro surrounded by a growing homeless encampment,” she said.

The Board of Supervisors agreed to fund $200,000 in repairs and remodeling to immediately open the shelter, and up to another $100,000, if needed later.

An estimated 56 people live in tents surrounding the facility, while some 514 people are living unsheltered in San Pedro, according to the latest count, Hahn said. Recent news reports with aerial footage of the area have drawn attention to the jumble of makeshift tents, tarps and debris that line the sidewalks.

In neighborhoods across the county, some residents have opposed shelters and supportive housing even while railing against the street encampments. Supervisor Kathryn Barger said moving people indoors with access to the services they need would prove to be a good solution.

A 100-bed interim housing site is also set to open in San Pedro, but Hahn acknowledged that the city still will not have enough space to help everyone in need. City and county officials are looking to combine property for a longer-term housing project, she said.

“We are looking at every available county asset that we can,” Hahn said.