Update: The city announced on Jan. 11 it would open a temporary “overflow” shelter in partnership with Boulder County, located at 5660 Sioux Drive. It will be open the evening of Jan. 12 through the morning of Jan. 16.
Temperatures are forecast to dip into the negatives this weekend, prompting concerns over whether the City of Boulder has enough shelter space to prevent homeless people from suffering frostbite or freezing to death.
“Let’s make sure that we do what we can to get through this potential Arctic blast without losing a single unhoused community member to the elements,” Councilmember Matt Benjamin wrote in an email to a public listserv on Monday.
City officials currently have no plans to change the city’s standard protocol for providing shelter to homeless people during critical winter conditions.
The city’s largest shelter in North Boulder, Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, typically has 160 available beds on any given night. The shelter is closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Other shelters in the city serve young people ages 12 to 24 and women and transgender people and their children.
But under certain weather conditions — such as those expected this weekend — the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless opens up another 20 beds, bringing the total number of beds to 180. It is also likely to remain open during the day for those who slept there the night prior, so that people do not have to brave the cold between stays.
This is standard city protocol during “critical weather” conditions. These changes are triggered when forecasts show winds above 70 miles per hour, a daily high of 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below, a nightly low of 10 degrees Fahrenheit or below, or six inches or more of snow.
“While the current conditions do not indicate the need for a response beyond those included in Critical Weather conditions, staff and partners are monitoring the weather forecasts,” Kurt Firnhaber, the city’s director of Housing and Human Services, wrote in an email Tuesday responding to Benjamin.
“Should conditions escalate to an emergency response, staff will work with the countywide Office of Disaster Management,” Firnhaber added.
An emergency response likely would mean opening a temporary shelter that would be available 24 hours per day. In December 2022, when temperatures plummeted to near-record lows, the city temporarily opened the East Boulder Community Center as a warming center. More than 100 people ended up staying there, exceeding expectations. During that cold snap, Firnhaber said 20 employees worked a combined 300 hours over three days.
“This was seen as an extraordinary weather event and took a significant effort in resources by both the City and County,” Firnhaber said.
This winter, the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless has already placed 17 people into hotel beds as part of an effort to free up more shelter space, according to Andy Schultheiss, a spokesperson for the shelter.
In 2023, there were more than 400 instances in which someone was turned away at the door of the North Boulder shelter due to capacity, with a notable uptick last fall, city data indicate. The shelter has recorded six turnaways so far this year, according to Schultheiss. On several recent freezing nights, however, the shelter has had enough space to provide a bed to anyone who showed up for one, the data show.
City councilmembers are scheduled to discuss cold weather preparedness at this week’s council meeting.
Thank you John!!
An elder who appreciates your coverage.
Critical weather conditions posted for homeless sound non compassionate and inadequate in my humble opinion. Wind at 69 miles an hour! Try sleeping, standing, sitting in that!
Let’s get creative in finding spaces to take over for the homeless beyond all odds!
Ann thank you for your compassionate response. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
The Rec Center needs to open asap. This is ridiculous. Kurt F. complains about how hard it is to coordinate and all the hours volunteers must spend. Then have a standing policy in place so staff can prepare in advance for these extreme weather conditions. If Denver can routinely do this without a hitch then why can’t Boulder figure it out.