With temperatures predicted to plummet into the single digits by Thursday morning, homeless shelters and support organizations are preparing for increased demand to house those who live on the streets.
There were 894 homeless in the county in 2017, according to a survey by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the most recent available.
The county’s Department of Health and Human Services operates two emergency seasonal shelters between Nov. 1 and March 30.
The Men’s Emergency Shelter on Gude Drive in Rockville and the Progress Place shelter in downtown Silver Spring have additional capacity for walk-ins during cold-weather months, some 380 beds. The Rockville shelter’s 135 emergency beds were full as of Tuesday night. That shelter also has 100 overflow beds, of which 35 were filled, according to Mary Anderson, a DHHS spokeswoman.
“If the need should arise, we have the ability to open overflow space at locations around the county,” she said Wednesday.
The county issued an emergency alert Wednesday that expires Thursday afternoon, advising residents to stay indoors and wear extra layers of clothing due to the wind chill, which is expected to be 10 degrees below zero into Thursday.
Libraries and recreation centers are also available during regular hours as warming centers. Several centers were open during last week’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday when libraries were closed.
Anderson said DHHS makes sure the shelters remain open during daytime hours any day temperatures are below 32 degrees.
Additionally, the department works with several homeless outreach organizations including Rockville-based EveryMind, Pathways to Housing DC, Bethesda Cares and the City of Gaithersburg’s homeless services division, which conduct routine sweeps of homeless people living on the street.
Bethesda Cares Executive Director John Mendez said his organization has five staff members who conduct searches during the winter and give warnings about cold weather as much as 10 days in advance.
“In order to save lives, you have to talk with people and make sure people have fair warnings,” he said.
On Jan. 20, Bethesda Cares teamed up with leaders from local churches to perform homeless sweeps.
Mendez said 18 people were found in places “not meant for human habitation.” With the warnings, Mendez said the homeless have an opportunity to seek warm locations. Bethesda Cares has planned another sweep in Silver Spring for Wednesday night.
“Some of these folks will go into public parking garages and stairwells. Some will get onto Ride On buses and ride for several hours. Some will go into Safeways and Giant that are 24 hours,” he said.
Mendez noted that last January, a homeless man died in his car near Bethesda Row.
“This is a very dangerous time of year,” he said.
Mendez said Bethesda Cares conducts sweeps in other down county areas that include Wheaton, White Oak and portions of Silver Spring.
“We have to be very flexible with our schedules and very responsive to the needs that are out there,” he said.
Daniel.schere@moco360.media
