LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Homeless shelters in Louisville are bracing for the impact of a winter storm expected to hit the area in the coming days.
With possible snow, sleet and freezing rain on the horizon and temperatures already below freezing, Operation White Flag remains in effect, Mayor Greg Fischer said Sunday. Operation White Flag allows shelters to open to more people experiencing homelessness when the temperature or wind chill is below 35 degrees.
Fischer on Sunday said the frigid temperatures in Louisville's forecast are "obviously a serious concern" for those experiencing homelessness in Louisville.
"It's also complicated by the pandemic and the need to keep people socially distanced when they're sheltered," he added.
Members of the Office for Resilience and Community Service have reached out to all of Louisville's shelters and were told there are beds available to provide daytime and evening shelter for all those who want it, Fischer said Sunday.
"If by chance we do fill up existing shelters, we have the ability to expand existing contracts with Wayside (Christian Mission) on an emergency basis to ensure adequate overnight temporary shelter," Fischer added. "No reservations are required."
Here are a list of shelters around Louisville:
- The Salvation Army's Healthy Day Shelter (911 S. Brook St.) can take in 400 people, according to a news release from Fischer's office. No reservations are required. The Salvation Army also offers a 70-bed Healthy Overnight Shelter at its Brook Street campus. To check bed availability, call 502-671-4904.
- The Healing Place (1020 W. Market St.) has a capacity of 48 beds. Call 502-585-4848 to check availability.
- Wayside Christian Mission (432 E. Jefferson St.) is open 24/7 with shelter space available, Fischer's office said. The shelter is also offering transportation services for those who need it. Call 502-996-1888 for assistance.
As of 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Wayside had 113 available shelter beds in the system for men and women as well as room for four additional families, according to a statement from Nina Moseley, Wayside's chief operating officer.
"It's imperative in this deadly weather that persons find indoor accommodations," Moseley said in the statement. "We do not want any homeless person in our city to freeze to death. With over 100 beds available, there is no reason for someone to choose to stay outdoors and risk death."
- Hotel Louisville (120 W. Broadway), which Wayside Mission operates, will offer overflow shelter and beds if needed, Fischer's office said in the news release.
During a news conference Saturday night outside Hotel Louisville, advocates for the city's homeless community called on city leaders and Wayside to open the hotel as soon as possible.
"What it boils down to is getting people off the streets," said Jeff Gill, a member of Hip Hop Cares. "We can talk long term; we have talked long-term plans, but right now it's very, very important that we talk short term as far as getting people off the streets so people don't die, so people don't lose limbs.
"... Hotel Louisville is the perfect, perfect place for us to be able to fix that immediate issue," Gill added. "Like, as Donny (Greene of Feed Louisville) said tonight, we could get people in this place tonight if the city and its leadership stopped making excuses."
- St. Vincent de Paul is also offering overnight shelter. To reserve a bed, or for more information on shelters throughout the city, call the Single Point of Entry office at the Coalition for the Homeless at 502-637-2337.
On Saturday night outside Hotel Louisville, Stachelle Bussey called on the city's residents to open any vacant spaces to the homeless during the incoming winter storm.
"Here's my charge to every person who can do something," said Bussey, who founded The Hope Buss. "Every person who has a building, every person who has a Airbnb, every person who has a vacant house, here is my charge to you: Do something. Ordinary people who come together and make something happen can do extraordinary work."
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