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Residents and service providers press Knoxville council to raise warming-center threshold and fund shelters
Summary
At public forum and during council announcements, residents, volunteers and providers urged raising the warming-center activation threshold from 25F to 32F, called for expanded hours, recurring city funding, and improved transportation and shelter capacity after several recent cold-weather deaths were cited.
Dozens of speakers at Tuesday's Knoxville City Council meeting pressed elected officials to expand and better fund the city's warming-center network, arguing the current activation policy leaves people exposed during dangerous cold.
Councilmember Amelia Parker, who announced forthcoming resolutions and an ordinance to examine warming-center activation and funding, said she plans to bring measures to council to improve transparency about when warming centers open and to consider dedicated funding. Erin Reed, director of the Office of Housing Stability, said centrally coordinated warming centers are in…
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