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City lists warming centers, hotline and outreach plans ahead of severe cold
Summary
City staff described standby shelters, street outreach, transportation arrangements and a 24/7 hotline (866-313-2520) to help people experiencing homelessness during an incoming cold front; two sites are open and a third will open Friday night for single adults with family transport planned.
City staff briefed the committee on emergency shelter capacity, outreach and transportation for people experiencing homelessness as a frigid cold front approached.
Tara Lisonbee, promoted to speak by staff, said the city has "standby shelters" that are brought online during severe weather and named two active sites: the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministry site at 13130 Woodward Avenue (walk-in) and the Pope Francis Center at 2915 West Hancock Street (single adults). She said street outreach teams operate 24 hours in targeted service areas such as transit centers, bus shelters and some gas-station locations to find and connect unsheltered people to shelter.
Lisonbee said the city will open a third site Friday night in partnership with the Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO) at 882 Oakman Boulevard, with a smaller adjacent site for families and planned transportation for those families to avoid overwhelming capacity. She gave a 24/7 hotline for shelter connections: "(866) 313-2520," and said people can also go to a police precinct to be connected to an outreach team. Lisonbee noted the city has a contract with Checker Cab to transport people from precincts to shelter locations so patrol cars are not removed from duty.
Chair Leticia Johnson emphasized the need for distributed shelter so families are not moved far from their children's schools. The committee thanked staff for coordinating with nonprofit providers and for making the hotline number and planned sites available.
