The City of Austin will open overnight cold weather shelters the night of Dec. 10. The announcement comes amidst forecasted temperatures dipping into the mid-30s Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, according to a news release.

What you need to know

Registration to enter a shelter will be Tuesday, 6-8 p.m. at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, Austin.

One Texas Center is the central registration location for those seeking shelter. The city will not be announcing specific shelter locations to manage capacity limits and privacy concerns, the release said.
The Downtown Austin Community Court is located at the One Texas Center at 505 Barton Springs Road, Austin. (Ben Thompson/Community Impact)
Registration to enter a shelter will be Tuesday, 6 - 8 p.m. at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, Austin. One Texas Center is the central registration location for those seeking shelter. (Ben Thompson/Community Impact)
Bus routes to the One Texas Center are lines 1, 7, 10, 20, 30, 105, 142 and 801. Those without funds to pay bus fare will still be given a ride, the news release said. Capital Metro and the city are partnering to provide transportation for those seeking to register for shelter.

An After-Hours Embarkation Service will be available for those seeking transportation and shelter after the 6-8 p.m. registration period.


While shelters are primarily utilized by those experiencing homelessness, shelters are open to the public, the news release said. Shelters are available as capacity allows.

The city will send text messages regarding cold weather shelters to those registered with the city’s text alert system for those experiencing homelessness, said David Gray, City of Austin Homeless Strategy Officer.

Also of note

The city has provided additional guidance for those utilizing the cold weather shelters:
  • Guests can bring belongings as long as individuals are able to transport them on a CapMetro bus and to the One Texas Center.
  • Women and couples can be at the same shelter, but in a separate area as capacity allows.
  • Meals will be provided. Guests will receive dinners and breakfast and snacks the morning following activation. This comes as part of changes to operations, updated in November.
  • Families with children and unaccompanied minors seeking shelter will receive hotel vouchers to use for lodging during a designated period. Extensions are based on availability and need. This comes as part of changes to operations, updated in November.
Pets are permitted under the following conditions:
  • Not aggressive
  • Can be around others
  • On a leash
  • Sleep with their owners
Stay tuned


City staff will be monitoring cold weather conditions to determine if the cold weather shelter activation will be extended overnight on Dec. 11.

CapMetro will also be monitoring the weather tomorrow and throughout the week, officials said in an email.

The Homeless Strategy Office determines cold weather shelter activations one day in advance and no later than 9 a.m. each day. Shelters open when overnight temperatures at Camp Mabry, Austin’s “official” weather station, reach 35 degrees or below. These are recent changes to cold weather shelter operations, updated in November.

The HSO receives contracted support from the Austin Area Urban League to provide cold weather shelter services.


For updates on the City of Austin cold weather shelters, visit www.austintexas.gov/alerts for information in multiple languages or call the cold weather shelter hotline at 512-972-5055.

For information on CapMetro transportation, visit www.capmetro.org.