Supervisors Shea and Taylor Urge All Area Warming Centers to Open at 32 Degrees
"I want to thank the City-County Housing Task Force for their efforts to expand the availability of warming facilities across the city."
MILWAUKEE – County Supervisors Steve Shea and Sequanna Taylor are urging all local warming centers to open their doors when the outside temperature reaches 32 degrees and encouraging residents and community leaders to be responsive to the needs of their neighbors struggling with homelessness during the winter season.
“It’s good to see that warming rooms were open during the recent cold snap, but we are not doing enough to protect the public,” said Taylor. “We must ensure public safety during cold weather. Individuals experiencing homelessness should be treated like human beings. Milwaukee County should continue to partner with the City of Milwaukee and community organizations to ensure all people have a safe, warm place to sleep at night. Those who want to help should consider donating coffee, tea, snacks, blankets and cots,” she added.
“I want to thank the City-County Housing Task Force for their efforts to expand the availability of warming facilities across the city,” said Shea. “This is a time of the year when we as a community should be reaching out to those in need and consider accepting temporary guests with the generosity and kindness that defines us as Wisconsinites.
Currently, two privately operated Milwaukee area overnight shelters warming centers open when the temperature falls below 32 degrees, one opens at 20 degrees, and one at 15 degrees. Only two local shelters have no temperature threshold.
An additional warming center was supposed to open at the Wilson Park Senior Center this week but encountered opposition from neighborhood residents.
Shea and Taylor co-sponsored a resolution in April that encouraged the local homeless services community to adopt a “Code Blue Emergency” policy, which would formalize the practice of opening shelters and warming centers when the outside air temperature dips below freezing.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
Recent Press Releases by Sup. Steven Shea
Supervisors Shea and Taylor Urge All Area Warming Centers to Open at 32 Degrees
Dec 4th, 2019 by Sup. Steven Shea"I want to thank the City-County Housing Task Force for their efforts to expand the availability of warming facilities across the city."
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