Homeless Shelters Prepare For Winter Storm, Warn That Building Shelters Is Only A Band-Aid Solution

Homeless shelters are in the midst of cold weather prep as another round of winter weather heads for Oklahoma; but shelters said there is only so much they can do. Oklahoma City has eight overnight shelters and three-day shelters, but none that run 24 hours for the general unhoused population. If temperatures get below freezing, the Homeless Alliance will convert its Day Center to an emergency night shelter. 

When temperatures drop people line up outside of the Homeless Alliance, and others like it hours before it opens to secure a safe spot for the night. Last week, one man almost lost his life while he waited for an emergency shelter to open back up. 

"I had never seen, and I hope I never have to see a person freeze to death," said Homeless Advocate, Sylvia Garcia. 

Sylvia Garcia said she called 911 when she thought the man was in the middle of a seizure. Firefighters told Garcia the convulsions were from him nearly freezing to death. It happened outside an emergency overnight shelter, while workers converted the space last Tuesday as he waited for the shelter to open back up. 

"City Rescue only has so many beds, Jesus House is not a shelter anymore it's a rehab center, we have Salvation Army, they only have so many beds. We still need more beds," said Garcia. 

There are eight-night shelters in OKC with up to 900 beds open; but city leaders say our homeless population is over 1500 and there's still a shortage. When temperatures drop below freezing the Homeless Alliance day shelter and Salvation Army open emergency beds. 

"When the temperatures get into the teens like that it's literally a matter of life and death," explained Homeless Alliance's Executive Director, Dan Straughan. He added, "On the worst night January 22nd we had 198, so 2.5 times our listed capacity. We don't turn anybody away." 

Pets were also allowed inside for the night. Those emergency shelters close in the morning to be cleaned and reverted back to its normal day shelter use. When that happens usually, the people inside are sent back on the streets until they reopen again in a few hours. Straughan said if it's too cold, sometimes they will keep people inside and try to clean around them. The shelter has gone so far as to rent a bus for people to sit in, while the conversion happens; but Straughan said the need for an emergency shelter is more a of a symptom of a bigger problem. 

"Oklahoma City as a city is 4500 units short of truly affordable housing." He added, "Emergency shelter is a Band-Aid solution to a much deeper problem and the answer to that deeper problem is more affordable housing." 

Embark has started a free shuttle between day and night shelters in the mornings and evenings. 

Overnight Shelters: 

City Rescue Mission (men, women, and children), City Care (men, women, pets, and children), Salvation Army (men, women, and children), Grace Rescue Mission (men only), Sisu (people under 24yrs old, Pivot (people under 24 years old), YWCA (victims of domestic violence), Jesus House (rug treatment facility) 

Day Shelters: 

Homeless Alliance Day Shelter (men, women, children, and pets), Catholic Charities (women and children), Sisu and Pivot (sometimes let youth stay during the day) 

Emergency Overnight Beds: 

Homeless Alliance Day Shelter (men, women, children and, pets), Salvation Army (women and children)