What's happening?
Brian Mason, the director for the city's Office of Emergency Management, said in a Jan. 8 statement that the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security has been coordinating with existing facilities to move vulnerable populations indoors.
The Houston Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), in partnership with the Coalition for the Homeless, reached out to individuals this week experiencing homelessness to provide information on available non-city shelters. Blankets and sleeping bags were also distributed to those unwilling to go to a shelter.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County has also employed a mobile warming center across the city.
"To the best of our knowledge, no one that needed a shelter was going without," he said during the City Council meeting Jan. 8.
Staying prepared
As of Jan. 8, city officials have not opened any warming centers. Mason said that is due to the current weather not meeting the threshold that would warrant the city to open warming shelters—24 degrees, or 15 degrees with windchill, for at least two hours or more.
Despite this, Mason said there are nonprofit and non-government active shelters that Houstonians are welcome to use to warm up during business hours.
These facilities include:
The Beacon John S. Dunn Outreach Center
- Located at 1212 Prairie St., Houston | 713-220-9737 | beaconhomeless.org/gethelp
- Day Center Services: Thursday through Monday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Intake: 7 a.m.-noon
- Breakfast, lunch, showers, laundry services (for clients enrolled in programs at the Dunn Center and those working towards housing)
- Transit: San Jacinto @ Prairie (Metro Bus 6), Texas @ Fannin (Metro Bus 11, 51, 52, 137), Preston light rail stop (red line)
- Located at 1811 Ruiz St., Houston | 713-226-5414 | sohmission.org
- Intake: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Transit: Runnels St. @ Chartres St. (METRO Bus 48)
- Note: Men only. There are limited resources available for walk-ups during intake hours.
- Located at 1717 Congress St., Houston | 713-752-0677 | salvationarmyhouston.org/
- Intake: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Transit: Congress @ Chenevert (METRO bus 6, 20, 30, 80), Franklin @ Chenevert (METRO bus 137, 236)
- Note: Men only
- Located at 2575 Reed Road, Houston | 713-748-0700 | sohmission.org
- Intake: Thursday through Monday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Transit: Star of Hope stop, or Reed Road @ South FWY FS (METRO Bus 11, 87)
- Note: Women and families only
- Located at 1603 McGowen St., Houston | 713-650-6530 | salvationarmyhouston.org/
- Intake: Sunday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Transit: McGowen @ Crawford (METRO bus 54), Crawford @ McGowen (METRO bus 11)
- Note: Women and families only
- Located 1621 McGowen St., Houston | 713-658-9205 | salvationarmyhouston.org/
- Intake: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Transit: McGowen @ Crawford (METRO bus 54), Crawford @ McGowen (METRO bus 11)
- Note: Drop center for youths (ages 18-24)
- Located at 3412 Beulah St., Houston | 713-630-5601 | covenanthousetx.org
- Drop-in services and intake: everyday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Transit: Scott St @ Elgin St (METRO Bus 54) Elgin/Third Ward light rail stop (Purple Line)
- Note: Emergency center for youth (ages 18-24)
- Located at 2627 Caroline St., Houston | 713-970-7000 | www.theharriscenter.org
- Intake: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.- 4 p.m.
- Transit: McGowen @ Austin (METRO Bus 54)
- Note: For mental health resources
- Dress in warm layers to retain body heat.
- Limit outdoor activities whenever possible to avoid prolonged exposure.
- Checking on family, friends and neighbors, especially older adults, or those with medical conditions.
- Be cautious of carbon monoxide poisoning by ensuring proper ventilation when using space heaters and never using stoves, ovens or grills for indoor heating.
