Nonprofits in North Texas are warning unsheltered homeless about forecast temperatures below freezing and the possibility of wind chills below zero later this week. The National Weather Service says temperatures could drop to about ten degrees Thursday night with wind gusts of up to 45 miles an hour.
"Nonprofits have what we call, 'street outreach teams.' They will go out and let people know it's going to get cold, and you may want to think about coming into shelter," says Toby Owen, chief executive officer of Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth.
He says Presbyterian Night Shelter is already near capacity with 721 of 750 beds occupied Monday night. If shelters start filling up, he says the City of Fort Worth will open a temporary shelter near permanent facilities on Lancaster Avenue.
"The City of Fort Worth will open that up once all the local shelters are full, but it's very, very close," Owen says.
The City of Dallas says it will have 880 beds available at the site of the former Austin Street Center at 2929 Hickory. The city says if that shelter reaches 75 percent capacity, 660 more beds will be available at Fair Park.
"We do have mobility plans for all those who are unsheltered to reach these locations," says Office of Homeless Solutions Director Christine Crossley. "There are multiple locations across the city people can be directed to either be picked up or access us via DART."
If both of those locations are full, Crossley says Oak Lawn United Methodist Church and Warren United Methodist Church will open. If no other locations have space, she says the Dallas Central Library will open as a shelter.
"We don't think we're going to get there this time because there's no precipitation, and it's a shorter amount of cold weather [than February 2021]," she says. "However, that possibility remains something we will keep open."
City Manager Rocky Vaz says Dallas has met with Atmos and Oncor to ensure their systems are prepared for the cold. He says city departments have also been communicating with each other to make sure their needs are met.
Vaz is also urging people who do have a permanent home to ensure they are ready by turning off sprinklers, opening cabinet doors below faucets, dripping faucets and learning now where your home's main water shut-off valve is located.
At Presbyterian Night Shelter, Owen says his greatest needs now are donations of money, sleeping bags, towels and over-the-counter medicine. People can learn more at https://www.journeyhome.org/donate.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD