The Pine Street Inn’s men’s shelter, already over capacity, is bracing for a bitter cold weekend that could make staying outside deadly.

Workers at the inn are still hitting the streets to ?recruit more homeless men in hopes of saving lives.

“The bad part about winter, being homeless, is it seems like things don’t go your way because of the elements,” said Seneca Rainey, 39. “You don’t know if you’re going to get jammed in the cold.”

Rainey is one of hundreds trying to snag a bed at the Pine Street Inn’s men’s shelter, which has 380 spots to offer. Running around 35 percent over capacity, the center typically has 80 to 100 men sleeping on the floor every night, officials said.

“This kind of really bitter cold, when you get below?zero and you get the wind chill, is when we really ?worry about losing people,” Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downie said yesterday.

She said workers have been talking to homeless people ahead of the weekend, warning them to seek shelter immediately. Despite the efforts, Downie said ?inevitably, some would ?rather remain on the streets. She blames mental illness and a drug ban at the shelter.

“If people won’t come in, and we can’t persuade them, we will let them sit in our van for a few hours and warm up and get them in out of the cold and hope that that will be enough to get them through the next day until the weather is not so severe,” Downie said.

Pine Street has two outreach vans, which are circulating from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. — three hours longer than usual — to reach homeless on the streets.

Downie said the center receives many calls from concerned residents looking for assistance for homeless people outside. Downie said the shelter does have ?resources, but her best piece of advice is, “Call 911.”