Shelter beds added ahead of freezing overnight temperatures
With overnight lows forecast to be well below freezing for much of the week, Thurston County health officials Monday scrambled to add shelter beds ahead of their usual schedule.
Typically the county pays for extra beds at area shelters from Nov. 1 to March 31. But overnight lows Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be in the low 20s to low 30s, according to the National Weather Service.
The county had about 200 shelter beds for a homeless population about five times as large. Starting Monday night, 50 extra beds will be available for single adults at Interfaith Works’ overnight shelter, which operates at First Christian Church on Franklin Street Southeast in downtown Olympia.
Interfaith Works’ contract with Thurston County pays for shelter staff, which can be a barrier to adding capacity quickly, said Keylee Marineau, the county’s homeless and affordable housing coordinator.
“The reality is shelters struggle with staffing, and staffing is key. We can’t stand anything up without staffing,” she said. “This is the first time we’re operating prior to the cold weather (season), so we’re just making it up as we go.”
Friday marks the start of the cold weather shelter season, when about 100 beds will be added at various shelters for the season.
During hazardous weather events — such as last February’s snowstorm or periods of poor air quality caused by wildfires — the county can expand shelter capacity and outreach services even more.
People living at the city of Olympia’s mitigation site told The Olympian Monday they are stocking up on socks, blankets and anything else that can keep them warm, since they can’t have fires.
Jesse Durazo, who has lived at Olympia’s mitigation site since it opened in late 2018, says he worries about the senior citizens living at the camp in tents designed for summer. “There’s old people out here. .... What are they supposed to do?” he asked.
This story was originally published October 29, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
