Cold weather shelters will open across the Denver area on Thursday night as much-anticipated snow falls in Colorado. Here’s where to find planned and activated shelters.
Denver
Denver will activate its Cold Weather Shelter Plan at 1 p.m. Thursday, expanding shelter access until the weather improves, .
People who need shelter should go to the city’s “” shelter access points, which have increased capacity for the cold weather. Front door shelters include:
- For individual men: Denver Rescue Mission’s Lawrence Street Community Center at 2222 Lawrence St.
- For individual women: Samaritan House at 2301 Lawrence St.
- For youth and young adults ages 12 to 24: Urban Peak at 1630 S. Acoma St.
- For families: Inn at the Highland at 2601 Zuni St. Intake hours for family shelter vouchers begin at 9 a.m. on the day the shelter is activated. For additional support or questions, contact the Connection Center at 303-295-3366.
Those shelters have longer hours for intake and have transportation available to other facilities, according to Denver officials. Staff can also help people navigate which shelter facility is the best option for their individual situation.
During the cold weather, 24/7 shelters will also be available at 2601 W. 7th Ave., 375 S. Zuni St., and at 4411 Peoria St., city officials said.
“All shelter sites are pet-friendly and provide food, showers, and blankets,” . “Transportation will run daily from downtown shelters to cold weather shelter sites. Security will be present at each site, and shelters will deactivate once weather improves.”
Jefferson County
Jefferson County shelters will be open from 9 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Saturday “due to projected precipitation and overnight low temperatures,” an stated.
“Cold weather poses a serious danger to people who are unsheltered, and Jefferson County encourages community members to seek available resources,” the alert stated.
The county’s cold weather shelters are activated when temperatures are expected to drop below 32 degrees and more than an inch of snow is in the forecast, or when temperatures are 20 degrees or lower, with or without snow.
Available shelters include:
- at 27888 Meadow Drive in Evergreen, which is open nightly from 6:15 p.m. to 7 a.m. from mid-October through April. All guests must call 303-670-1796 to register with the shelter before staying.
- Jefferson County Public Library branches, which act as daytime warming centers during extreme weather.
The city of Arvada also offers vouchers for temporary shelter during cold weather. Options include:
- The Rising Church at 7500 W. 57th Ave. People can sign up for vouchers from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays between Oct. 1 and April 30.
- Arvada One Small Step court. Sign-ups are available from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. during cold weather season.
“With a limited number of vouchers and no congregate shelter available, there is no guarantee that you will have a place to stay during cold weather in Jefferson County or Arvada,” Arvada officials said. “It is best to have a plan to find congregate shelter outside of Jefferson County or find friends or family you can stay with during cold weather as not everyone will be selected to receive a hotel voucher and this is intended to be used as a last resort.”
Longmont
An overnight severe weather shelter will be offered from Thursday through Saturday at Journey Church, 2000 Pike Road, in Longmont, .
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. each evening, Longmont officials said. Anyone who has not been previously banned from the shelter and who needs a warm place to sleep for the night is welcome.
No one is allowed on church property before 5 p.m. because the space is also used by a school, according to city officials. For more information, people can call 720-494-4673 or visit hopeforlongmont.org.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
