In response to the impending subzero temperatures expected over the weekend, the City of Boulder, together with Boulder County and the Boulder Office of Disaster Management, is taking preemptive action to protect its unhoused residents by establishing a temporary 24-hour Extreme Weather Shelter starting Saturday, Jan. 18, according to the City of Boulder. The special weather shelter, housed in the Age Well wing of the East Boulder Community Center, will be available through at least Tuesday, Jan. 21, providing a warm refuge for those in need due to the life-threatening cold.
Kurt Firnhaber, Boulder's director of Housing and Human Services, expressed the urgency of the situation, "With forecasted temperatures below zero for several nights this weekend into next week, our unsheltered neighbors face a significant risk," as obtained by the City of Boulder. In coordination with the opening of the temporary shelter, All Roads Shelter is operating under Critical Weather protocols, offering day services throughout the weekend; this will be available even if individuals typically do not meet the standard criteria for All Roads, but once it reaches capacity, transportation to the overflow facility at the East Age Well Center will then be provided.
City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde shared gratitude for the effort, "I am deeply grateful to our staff, particularly our Housing and Human Services team, for their leadership in bringing this critical resource to our community,” as per the City of Boulder, adding a note of appreciation for the community partners and county colleagues who have been integral to the launch of the Extreme Weather Shelter. Specialized options for sheltering are also available for particular demographics, Haven Ridge caters to women, transgender, and nonbinary persons, and TGTHR's The Source is dedicated to homeless youth with daily open hours for youths up to 24 years old.
Alongside facility arrangements, Boulder city staff and partnering organizations are proactively reaching out to individuals experiencing homelessness to inform them about the dangerous cold snap, advise on available services, and help formulate strategies for staying safe, the East Boulder Community Center will continue to operate according to its regular schedule with the exclusion of activities in the Age Well wing which is going to close at noon on Friday, Jan. 17 and won't reopen until Friday, Jan. 24 to provide time for clean-up and service restoration.
