Denver and Aurora activate severe weather shelters for unsheltered community ahead of freezing weekend
Cities like Denver and Aurora are preparing for temperatures to drop below freezing over the weekend to ensure those on the street survive the bitter cold in Colorado.
The city and county of Denver are activating severe weather shelters. New Directions and Coliseum will open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
For his Cold Weather Shelter plan activation, the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) will open an overnight shelter in the ballroom of New Directions, formerly known as the Best Western Hotel, located at 4595 Quebec St. and the Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St., overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday to Sunday.
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Cold weather can be a serious danger to people who are unhoused, and the city is encouraging people to take advantage of the shelters.
Individuals in need of shelter should be referred to the city's "front door" shelter access points, which are also expanding their capacity for the cold weather. Front door shelters include:
- For individual men – Lawrence Street Community Center, 2222 Lawrence St.
- For individual women – Samaritan House, 2301 Lawrence St.
- For youth ages 15-20 – Urban Peak, 2100 Stout St.
Buses will transfer people from St. Francis Center, 2323 Curtis St., between 6:30 and 9 p.m. each night to the Best Western and the Coliseum. After 9 p.m., individuals should be referred directly to the Coliseum.
Families in need of shelter should call the connection center at 303-295-3366.
As of now, the city does not have any plans to open any daytime warming centers, but will determine that Friday evening depending on the weather.
Temperatures must drop below 20 degrees and have over two inches of snow.
For more information about shelter access, visit here.
In Aurora, the Aurora Day Resource Center plans to open in the morning around 7:30 a.m. and plans to activate for overnight shelter until Saturday morning, helping up to 200 people stay warm.
Anna Miller, with the Mile High Behavioral Healthcare says they're preparing because they are anticipating colder days this season.
"We are going to have a pretty cold and intense winter this year, so we are preparing for that and making sure we have all the supplies needed and our staff are ready," said Miller.
Aurora's only day shelter expects to be busy through the weekend.
For more information on Aurora Day Resource center, visit here. .
