Christmas Eve temperatures in Denver are expected to hit below 20 degrees, so the city plans to open overnight shelters.
The ballroom of the Denver Navigation Campus, site of the former Doubletree Hotel at 4040 Quebec St., will be turned into a shelter from 7 p.m. Sunday night to 7 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 25.
A winter storm system is expected to develop over the north-central mountains starting Saturday evening, possibly bringing snow to Denver into Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Sunday night, temperatures are expected to drop to 19 degrees or lower, and there may be some light flurries.
Officials said people needing shelter should start with the city's "front door" shelter facilities. Those include Lawrence Street Community Center at 2222 Lawrence St. for individual men, Samaritan House at 2301 Lawrence St. for individual women and Urban Peak at 2100 Stout St. for youth ages 15 through 20.
Once those facilities reach capacity, the city will start referring people to the St. Francis Center at 2323 Curtis St. where buses will transport people to the Navigation Campus. Those buses will operate between 6:30 and 9 p.m. After the last bus, individuals will be referred directly to the Campus.
The city adds that families in need of shelter should call the Connection Center at 303-295-3366.
Changes may be coming to the way the city decides when to activate the overnight shelter.
Currently, the shelters open when temperatures drop below 20 degrees but a proposed bill would change that to 32 degrees.
Another proposed bill would prevent city officials from sweeping encampments and police from making arrests for urban camping if, 48 hours before a given sweep or arrest, the NWS projects temperatures at or below the freezing point of 32 degrees.
The bills passed through the Council's Safety and Housing committee through a split vote of four to three on Wednesday. Council members Sarah Parady, Shontel Lewis, Paul Kashmann and Council President Jamie Torres co-sponsored the bill.
They face opposition from Mayor Mike Johnston and some city officials who say the bills are too broad and could create confusion. On the other side, homeless advocates say the city needs to pass the legislation because of frostbite risks and deaths occurring during sweeps that take place under freezing temperatures.
City Council will vote on the bills next year.
