(Washington, DC) – The DC Department of Human Services (DHS), in collaboration with the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), will activate the city’s Cold Emergency Plan tonight (December 27, 2017) at 7 pm. The Cold Emergency Alert will remain activated until 7 am, Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

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. To request transportation to shelter for persons in DC who are experiencing homelessness, contact the toll-free Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or by calling 311.

Cold Emergency Alerts occur when weather forecasts present a danger to residents, especially those who are outdoors and experiencing homelessness. Alerts are triggered by temperature and wind chill below 15° F or temperature and wind chill below 20° F with an accompanying weather event such as snow. National Weather Service forecasts inform the alerts and current predictions are that temperatures will remain below freezing through the weekend.



Key services provided during Cold Emergency Alerts include:



Access to Emergency Shelter — Low-barrier shelters that accept all individuals and families in need are open, along with designated cold emergency alert shelters.



Access to Overnight Warming Sites — Designated public buildings may open during the day or overnight. Individuals can access these sites on their own or by contacting the Shelter Hotline for transportation. Overnight Warming Sites are in operation from 7 pm until 7 am Some sites may open later than 7 pm 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 the District during a Cold Emergency Alert. To request transportation to shelter for persons in DC who are experiencing homelessness, contact the toll free Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or by calling 311. When calling the hotline, please include the time, the address or location of the sighting, and a description of the person’s appearance.



Families seeking emergency shelter can call the DC Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311 at any time day or night. Families may also visit the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center at 920 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, Monday - Thursday between 8 am and 4:30 pm and Friday between 8 am and 12:30 pm The center is closed on Monday, January 1, 2018.



The following shelter locations are open:



Cold Emergency Alert Night Shelters for Women

New Covenant Baptist Church: 1301 W Street, SE

Community of Christ Church: 3526 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Sherwood Recreation Center: 640 10th Street, NE

King Greenleaf Recreation Center: 201 N Street, SW

Harriet Tubman Shelter: DC General Building 9, 1900 Massachusetts Avenue, SE

Nativity Shelter: 6010 Georgia Avenue, NW

Patricia Handy Place for Women: 810 5 Street, NW



Cold Emergency Alert Night Shelters for Men

Banneker Recreation Center: 2500 Georgia Avenue, NW

Kennedy Recreation Center: 1401 7th Street, NW

Sacred Heart Church: 16th Street and Park Road, NW

Salvation Army: 3335 Sherman Avenue, NW

Community for Creative Non-Violence: 425 2nd Street, NW

Raymond Recreation Center: 3725 10th Street, NW

801 East Shelter: 801 Making Life Better Lane, SE

Adams Place Shelter: 2210 Adams Place, NE

New York Avenue Shelter: 1355-57 New York Avenue, NE



Co-Ed Cold Emergency Alert Night Shelters