SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For a second time in as many days, the City of Sacramento will open a warming center for the homeless in City Hall to find respite from cold and windy weather.
The lobby of City Hall will open at 8 p.m. Monday through 7 a.m. Tuesday. There is a covered outdoor space to accommodate pets in kennels or crates.
The move comes as a cold storm is blowing through the area, bringing with it windy and wet weather.
The City of Sacramento operates 1,100 bed spaces available for the homeless through a variety of shelter types including 400 motel vouchers, (3) 100-bed shelters, some scatter shelters in homes and a variety of youth shelters.
However, the current shelter space is not enough to house those suffering through extreme weather. During emergency situations, Sacramento City employees have opened the respite centers to offer snacks, warmth, restrooms and a safe place to sleep for the unhoused.
Advocates for the homeless have made repeated calls to keep these type of centers open during storms.
"We need the respite centers to stay open during the storm! Many of the unhoused at encampments are getting hit hard by the high winds and cold rain,” said Faye Wilson Kennedy with the Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign (Sac PPC).
Opening the respite center takes resources, specifically staffing which is limited, said Gregg Fishman, a spokesperson with the City’s Department of Community Response. At this time, the city will operate respite centers as needed. Fishman says his department would like to one day operate a similar site year round.
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