Cold Weather Shelter Program
Austin's lack of shelter space forces many homeless people to sleep outside during winter months. Several years ago, Front Steps and Austin Area Interreligious Ministries (AAIM) developed the Cold Weather Shelter Program, coordinating local churches and community volunteers to provide shelter in church facilities on nights when the temperature drops to freezing. Currently, seven churches host men, and two churches host women. The volunteer-staffed shelters offer a warm place to sleep, a hot meal, and a welcoming environment to homeless single adults and youth.
The Cold Weather Shelters open on nights with temperatures 32º (and dry) or 35º (and wet). In addition to the church shelters and expansion at the ARCH or the Salvation Army, the City will open secondary shelters once all of these options are full.
If your church would like more information about serving as a freeze night host site, or if you would like to volunteer, please call Carol Swicker at 305-4100.
If you are in need of shelter on a cold night (between November and February):
- Call the Cold Weather Shelter hotline (305-4233) after Noon for updated information on overnight low temperatures, church shelter openings, and whether the ARCH and Salvation Army will be expanding mat sleeping.
- If you have further questions, you can call the ARCH front desk (305-4100) for more information. Printed information is also posted at ARCH at noon.
- On freeze nights, single women can go directly to the opening church after 6:00 pm. If you need to arrive at the church later than 8:00 pm, please call the ARCH front desk and ask to speak to a manager to make arrangements.
- Men wanting to go to a church shelter need to be at the ARCH (500 E. 7th Street) no later than 5:15 pm for a lottery. Capital Metro provides transportation to and from the men’s churches.
- Families needing shelter should go to the Salvation Army (501 E. 8th Street).
- Additional mat sleeping is available at the ARCH and the Salvation Army anytime the temperature is predicted to drop below 40 degrees. On freezing nights, if these two shelters fill up, the City will open an additional shelter and will bus people from the Salvation Army. You must show up at the Salvation Army by 8:00 pm to access this secondary shelter.
- You must bring your blankets to the church, as they are not provided there. Blankets will be distributed at the ARCH as available on Monday and Friday at 3:00 pm and on freeze nights through February.
David Blackwell,
Client Services Specialist