Shelters prepare as temperatures drop
SAN FRANCISCO - An expanded shelter schedule has been implemented by San Francisco city officials as cold descends on the city this week.
Shelter officials will allow any adult who needs shelter to occupy any vacant bed at any facility after 8 p.m. regardless of whether the person has a reservation.
An additional shelter at the Gene Friend Rec Center at 270 Sixth St. opened at 4 p.m. today for 120 guests.
The shelter will be open 24 hours a day until Wednesday morning, city officials said.
Three hot meals a day will be served ending with breakfast Wednesday morning.
City officials said pets are not permitted at the shelter. Sixty-five spaces for men will be available starting at 6 p.m. Monday on a first-come, first-served basis at the First Unitarian Universalist
Church & Center at 1187 Franklin St.
Tickets will be for a seven-night stay and two meals will be served each day.
The Hummingbird Place at the Behavioral Health Center at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital at 887 Potrero Ave. will have 30 spaces open on a 24-hour basis.
Two resource centers have expanded operations. The Mission Neighborhood Resource Center at 165 Capp St. is open 24 hours a day through Wednesday morning with 75 spaces available during the day and 40 spaces available after 7 p.m.
The United Council of Human Services at 2111 Jennings St. is open 24 hours a day through Wednesday morning with 100 spaces available.
Residents are urged to frequently check on older adults and people with disabilities to make sure their homes are well-heated.
Anyone who sees a person in need of shelter is asked to call 311. Anyone who sees someone experiencing a medical emergency is asked to call 911.
Up to 192 more homeless shelter beds will be available starting
today in Santa Clara County as temperatures in the San Francisco Bay Area
drop, county officials said.
The beds will be available through Friday at the Bill Wilson
Center, CityTeam Ministries, HomeFirst's Boccardo Reception Center, the
Gilroy Armory, LifeMoves' Georgia Travis House, Montgomery Street Inn and
Project WeHOPE.
Hotlines are available to direct people to services. Call 211 for
health and human services.
The homeless helpline to ask for assistance or report a homeless
person in need in the county, excluding San Jose, is (408) 793-0550.
The HomeFirst Homeless Helpline is (408) 510-7600 or it can be
reached at outreach@homefirstscc.org.
The HomeFirst outreach team provides access to shelters, showers,
laundry, meals, medical services, case management, employment training and
more.
Homeless people can receive text messages about services by
texting HOMELESS and a message to 888777.
For more information on shelter locations and warming centers in
the county, visit http://bit.ly/SCCshelters.