The Department of Human Services (DHS), in collaboration with the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), will continue the activation of the city's Cold Emergency Plan. Under a “Cold Emergency Alert” additional services and supports are provided to protect residents from life-threatening illness and injury associated with severe cold weather.

 

The DC Government activates the Cold Emergency Plan when the temperature and wind chill drop to 15° F or when the temperature, with wind chill, is 20° F and there is an accompanying meteorological event such as snow. DHS, HSEMA, and other agencies have determined that the weather, as forecasted, presents a danger, especially to residents who are experiencing homelessness.

 

Key services provided during Cold Emergency Alerts include:

 

Access to Emergency Shelter—Low-barrier, Hypothermia, and Overflow Emergency Shelters are open during Hypothermia and Cold Alerts.

 

Access to Overnight Warming Sites—In order to provide access to a warm and safe facility, designated public buildings, such as recreation centers, may open during the day or overnight. In cases where residents choose not to use the traditional low-barrier or hypothermia emergency shelters, these warming sites offer a warm and safe place to spend the night. Individuals may access these sites on their own or by contacting the Shelter Hotline for transportation. Overnight Warming Sites operate from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Some sites may open later than 7:00 p.m. based on regularly scheduled business operations.

 

Transportation to Warmth and Safety—Free transportation to an emergency shelter or warming site is provided to anyone experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC during a Cold Emergency Alert. To request transportation to shelter for persons in DC who are experiencing homelessness, contact the toll-free Shelter Hotline: (202) 399-7093 or 311. Include the time, the address or location of the sighting, and a description of the person’s appearance.

 

Families seeking emergency shelter can also visit the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center at 920 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, from Monday to Thursday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Families can also call the DC Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311 at any time day or night.

 

The following are low barrier and alert night emergency shelters and warming site locations:

 

Shelters for Women

• Adams Place Day Center at 2210 Adams Place NE
• Community for Creative Non-violence (CCNV) at 425 2nd Street NW
• Sherwood Recreation Center at 640 10th Street NE
• Harriet Tubman Shelter at 1900 Massachusetts Avenue SE #27

• St. Josephine Bahkita at 6010 Georgia Avenue NW
• Patricia Handy Place for Women at 1009 11th Street NW

 

Shelters for Men

• Community for Creative Non-violence (CCNV) at 425 2nd Street NW
• Church of Epiphany at 1317 G Street NW
• Salvation Army at 3335 Sherman Avenue NW
• 801 East Shelter at 2722 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE
• Adams Place Shelter at 2210 Adams Place NE

• New York Avenue Shelter at 1355-57 New York Avenue NE
• Patricia Handy Legacy at 810 5th Street NW
• Trinidad Recreation Center at 1310 Childress Street SE

 

Shelter for LGBTQ+

• Living Life Alternative at 400 50th Street SE

 

Youth Hypothermia Sites (ages 18-24)

• Safe Haven at 4900 Quarles Street SE
• SHINE (LGBTQ+) at 4904 Quarles Street NE
• The Sanctuary at 511 Mellon Street SE