The District is committed to ensuring that people experiencing homelessness have access to shelter from November through March when unsheltered residents are at greatest risk of hypothermia and other cold-weather injuries. The District is one of only a few jurisdictions in the country that provides a legal right to shelter in hypothermic weather conditions.

During hypothermia season, the DC Department of Human Services (DHS) and provider outreach teams help keep people safe by conducting wellness checks, distributing warming items, and bringing unsheltered and vulnerable residents in from the cold.

If you need help or see someone outside who needs shelter or a welfare check, please call the Shelter Hotline at 202-399-7093 or dial 311. If there is an immediate risk to safety, call 911.

For more information on hypothermia season, including shelter locations and cold weather alerts, visit cold.dc.gov