Washington, DC

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – In accordance with the 2017-2018 District of Columbia Winter Plan for the Homeless, the District Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) will activate the Hypothermia Alert tonight at 7 pm. Based on the forecast from the National Weather Service (NWS), the expected low temperature tonight will be in the forties with a wind chill factor as low as 36° F. The Hypothermia Alert will be activated from 7 pm through 7 am tomorrow morning.

Hypothermia alerts are activated when the NWS forecasted temperature, including wind chill, is or will be 32° F or below. Under a new policy implemented by the Bowser Administration and the ICH, DHS will also call an overnight hypothermia alert when the temperature is forecasted to be 40°or below and the forecasted chance of precipitation is fifty percent or greater.

Services Provided During a Hypothermia Alert

Access to Additional Shelter—If low-barrier shelters in the District begin to reach capacity when an alert is activated, the District opens Hypothermia Shelters in recreation centers and other public buildings to ensure there are warm, safe places to be for anyone experiencing homelessness. Tonight’s Hypothermia Shelters will be activated in the following recreation centers:

• King Greenleaf
• Sherwood
• Banneker, and
• Kennedy

Transportation to Warmth and Safety—Free transportation to shelter is provided to anyone experiencing homelessness in the District during a Hypothermia Alert. To request transportation to shelter for people in DC who are experiencing homelessness, contact the Shelter Hotline: (202) 399-7093 or 311. Please include the time, address or location of the person, and a description of the person’s appearance.

Increased Outreach—DHS will amplify outreach efforts during the night to raise awareness about the availability of Hypothermia Shelters.

Families seeking emergency shelter can also visit the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center at 920 Rhode Island Avenue, NE on Monday through Thursday between 8 am and 4:30 pm and Fridays from 8 am until 12:30 pm. Families may also call the Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311 at any time day or night.