As dangerous Arctic cold moves in, Waukesha County has no 24-hour warming shelters. Nonprofits are working to provide hotel rooms and limited shelter space, while the county is using short-term options like hotel vouchers and daytime warming centers. Officials say anyone who needs warmth or shelter should call 211 for assistance, according to the FOX6 Milwaukee.
Nonprofits and Dispatchers Warn of Gaps
Bob Glowacki, CEO of St. Vincent de Paul Waukesha County, said Waukesha "is desperately in need of a 24-hour warming shelter like they have in Milwaukee" and noted that the county has only about 120 shelter beds across sites such as The Salvation Army, Hebron Housing and The Women's Shelter. Glowacki said his agency handed out roughly 40 hotel vouchers ahead of the cold and added that funding and security are major obstacles to opening a permanent 24-hour site. At the county communications center, emergency preparedness director Gail Goodchild said dispatchers saw the phones stay quiet on a particularly cold night, but emphasized that any call about someone exposed to the elements would jump to the top of the list. These details were reported by FOX6 Milwaukee.
County Resource List Leans on Daytime Sites
Waukesha County's emergency PIO published an extreme weather resource map on Google that points people mainly to libraries and other day-time warming locations instead of a single overnight shelter. That public list names organizations such as The Salvation Army and the Hope Center, while local providers including Hebron Housing continue to operate shelter sites such as Juno House and Jeremy House and have extended bed capacity. Contact information and drop-in hours are available through the county map and on the seasonal resources page from St. Vincent de Paul.
Milwaukee Opened Overnight Emergency Shelters
Across the county line, Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee opened an emergency overnight warming shelter and expanded access to additional warming locations this week, including an emergency site at Washington Park Senior Center, according to a statement from Milwaukee County. The same statement directed residents to call 211 or visit Impact211 for 24/7 assistance and transportation to warming sites.
Why a 24-Hour Site Is Hard to Stand Up
Leaders point to familiar sticking points: staffing, security and reliable funding all make a permanent, 24-hour operation expensive and administratively complex. Nonprofits that run day centers or seasonal overnight programs say they can stretch their capacity during acute cold snaps, but those temporary fixes do not replace the continuous coverage advocates say is needed to keep people safe through the night.
How to Get Help Tonight
If someone is in immediate danger or exposed to the cold, officials say to call 911. For shelter options, transportation and warming-center information, residents are urged to call 211. Hebron Housing's emergency shelter line is listed on local resources as (262) 549-8722, and St. Vincent de Paul details extended hours at the Hope Center for Waukesha County residents. Milwaukee County's news release and the county's resource map both highlight 211 as the primary 24/7 connector to services during periods of extreme cold.
