WASHINGTON — With temperatures reaching dangerously cold levels on Monday, D.C. has enacted the Cold Emergency Plan, which includes the opening of several warming shelters in the District.
D.C. activates the Cold Emergency Plan during a Cold Emergency Alert, which happens when the temperature and wind chill drop to 15 degrees or when the temperature, with wind chill, is 20 degrees and there is an accompanying weather event such as snow.
The Department of Homeland Security, the department’s Emergency Management and other agencies have determined that the weather, as forecast, presents a danger, especially to those who are experiencing homelessness.
Services provided during a Cold Emergency Alter include access to emergency shelters, access to overnight warming sites and transportation to warmth and safety.
Emergency shelters activated
Hypothermia/Cold Emergency Alert Night Shelters for Women:
- Community of Christ Church: 3526 Massachusetts Ave. Northwest
- King Greenleaf Recreation Center: 201 N St. Southwest
- Nativity Shelter: 6010 Georgia Ave. Northwest
- New Covenant Baptist Church: 1301 W St. Southeast
- Sherwood Recreation Center: 640 10th St. Northeast
Hypothermia/Cold Emergency Alert Night Shelters for Men:
- Banneker Recreation Center: 2500 Georgia Ave. Northwest
- Kennedy Recreation Center: 1401 7th St. Northwest
- Sacred Heart Church: 16th Street and Park Rd. Northwest
- Salvation Army: 3335 Sherman Ave. Northwest
- Community for Creative Non-Violence: 425 2nd St. Northwest
- Adams Place Shelter: 2210 Adams Place Northeast
- 801 East Shelter: 801 Making Life Better Lane Southeast
- Raymond Recreation Center: 3725 10th St. Northwest
Co-Ed Hypothermia/Cold Emergency Alert Night Shelters:
- Emery Recreation Center: 5801 Georgia Ave. Northwest
Low-barrier Emergency Shelters for Women:
- Harriet Tubman Shelter: DC General Building 9, 1900 Massachusetts Ave. Southeast
- Nativity Shelter: 6010 Georgia Ave. Northwest
- Patricia Handy Place for Women: 810 5th St. Northwest
Low-barrier Emergency Shelters for Men:
- 801 East Shelter: 801 Making Life Better Lane Southeast
- Adams Place Shelter: 2210 Adams Place Northeast
- New York Avenue Shelter: 1355-57 New York Ave. Northeast
Transportation to warmth and safety
Free transportation to an emergency shelter or warming site is provided to anyone experiencing homelessness in D.C. during a Cold Emergency Alert. To request transportation for anyone who is homeless, call the Shelter Hotline at 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 Ave. Northeast from Monday to Thursday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Families can also call the Shelter Hotline at 202-399-7093 or 311 at any time day or night.
Access to overnight warming sites
Designated public buildings, such as recreation centers, may open during the day or overnight, and 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 p.m. to 7 a.m. Some sites may open later than 7 p.m. based on regularly scheduled business operations.
