The City of Boulder will open the East Boulder Community Center at 5660 Sioux Drive as a 24-hour emergency warming center this weekend for people experiencing homelessness. The decision comes in response to a forecast of subzero temperatures.
The shelter is scheduled to operate from midday Saturday, Jan. 18, through at least Tuesday, Jan. 21. A city official said the schedule could change depending on the weather.
City officials encouraged people to first travel to All Roads, the city’s largest shelter at 4869 Broadway in North Boulder, where transportation will be provided to the East Boulder Community Center if All Roads reaches capacity. While the North Boulder shelter increased its bed capacity last year to 180 from 160, it still regularly turns people away due to capacity limits. In response to the cold weather, All Roads will remain open during daytime hours this weekend, when it typically closes, according to the shelter.
A city official said outreach workers will distribute free bus passes downtown to help people access shelter from downtown Boulder.
“I am deeply grateful to our staff, particularly our Housing and Human Services team, for their leadership in bringing this critical resource to our community,” City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, who ultimately decided to open the shelter, said in a news release Thursday, Jan. 16. “I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our community partners and county colleagues for stepping up and collaborating to make this effort possible.”
The East Boulder Community Center will remain open to all community members, apart from its Age Well wing.