Milwaukee Has Just One Warming Room For Homeless
Amid freezing temperatures, it's way over capacity. More shelters needed.
Tommy Kirk, Repairers of the Breach center manager, is pictured with Rebecca North, the organization’s board president. On Wednesday, Repairers of the Breach housed 60 people because of the cold. File photo by PrincessSafiya Byers/NNS,
As temperatures drop to dangerously low levels, the Repairers of the Breach, 1335 W. Vliet St., said its warming room is the only one that’s open.
A warming center is a short-term emergency shelter that opens when temperatures or a combination of precipitation, wind chill, wind and temperature become dangerously inclement. Wednesday night’s temperature officially dropped to 20 degrees, which means most warm rooms would usually be open for the night.
“There is no list because we are the only ones open right now,” James West, the executive director of Repairers of the Breach, said.
You can dial 211 or text your ZIP code to 898-211 to contact a specialist about temporary entry to shelters.
People who are sleeping outdoors can get an assessment with the Milwaukee Continuum of Care’s Coordinated Entry team at Repairers of the Breach from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at St. Benedict the Moor Parish, 930 W. State St.
According to the Milwaukee Continuum of Care, expanded emergency shelter resources will be available soon, though there is no date determined yet.
West said he is hopeful more warming rooms will open soon.
“We only have the capacity for 30 to 40 people, but last night (Wednesday), we housed over 60,” he said. “We had to open the third level. It’s just hard to turn people away when it’s cold.”
As temperatures dip, Milwaukee has only one warming room open was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
