The Coalition for the Homeless as lead agency to
The Way Home Continuum of Care (CoC) is working with local governmental entities to advocate on behalf of people experiencing homelessness to ensure their needs are being considered as a cold front approaches our region.
We will make frequent updates as we receive information. Please check back often for the latest information.
Updated Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, at 12 p.m.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management has developed a map for people to find the closest warming shelter near them and to view warming centers across the state of Texas. For additional information, assistance, or resources call 2-1-1.
The Red Cross will also post information about emergency shelters on the "find open shelter" section of its website:
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/find-an-open-shelter.html
The George R. Brown Convention Center (Downtown Houston)
The City of Houston will open the George R Brown (GRB) Convention Center downtown as a shelter/warming center starting Sunday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m. 1001 Avenida De Las Americas, Houston, TX 77010.
Will the shelter at the GRB accept people with pets?
Yes. BARC will be there to help.
UPDATE: The GRB has reached capacity. People should seek shelter at one of the other locations on this list or call 2-1-1 or 3-1-1 for assistance.
Transportation to shelters:
How will unsheltered people get to the warming centers?
Warming Center Locations:
Fort Bend County:
If anyone comes across an individual or family experiencing homelessness and in need of assistance during this cold weather, please contact Fort Bend County Social Services at 281-238-3502. Social Services staff will perform an assessment over the phone and help the individuals/families with available shelter options.
Additional Locations:
Information provided by Harris County Public Health:
Please see the list below for water distribution locations in the area.
The Precinct 4 team will be on hand this afternoon to distribute non-potable water to county residents in need from noon to 5 p.m. Supplies are limited to 10 gallons per person, and recipients must bring their own appropriate container (milk jugs, ice chests, etc.)
Galveston
Water distribution to residents will begin Friday morning at 10 a.m. in two locations:
Residents are welcome to drive-up to pick up water. Residents with families of up to four people will receive one case of water. Families of five or more will receive two cases.
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Food Bank will have a Food and Water distribution event today in Willis at 600 Gerald St. today at noon. The event is first come first serve.
Outreach teams that interact with people experiencing unsheltered homelessness are providing information, cold weather supplies (e.g., blankets and hand warmers), and transportation to shelters/warming centers in advance of the anticipated winter weather. This includes homeless outreach teams from Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff's office, and The Way Home agencies including:
The following agencies in The Way Home Continuum of Care have informed us they are currently accepting in-kind donations of blankets, coats, and other winter gear for people experiencing homelessness:
Click here to view a complete list of agencies in The Way Home CoC.
If your agency is a current partner of The Way Home CoC and you would like us to include information on this page about special services your agency will be offering, or in-kind donations you are seeking, during the arctic blast, please send that information to Caybryn Southern at csouthern@homelesshouston.org and Catherine Villarreal at cvillarreal@homelesshouston.org.
FEMA Announces Emergency Aid for Texas
FEMA announced federal emergency aid has been made available to the state of Texas to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by a severe winter storm beginning on Feb. 11, 2021 and continuing.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY.
The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in all three counties in our Continuum of Care, i.e., Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding is also available to state, eligible local, tribal and territorial governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, statewide.
Visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4586 to learn more.
Beyonce Knowles and her BeyGOOD initiative have teamed up with Adidas and Bread of Life to provide urgent relief to those in need.
The assistance is for "one-time financial assistance to those who have experienced a non-recurring, sudden or emergency-related financial hardship" due to the storm that has so harshly affected the state of Texas.
Click here to read more about this initiative, view the application form, and see how you can donate.
Jurisdiction | Website |
---|---|
City of Houston | https://houstonemergency.org/ |
City of Pasadena | https://www.pasadenatx.gov/185/Emergency-Management |
Fort Bend County | https://fbcoem.org/ |
Harris County | https://www.readyharris.org/ |
Montgomery County | https://mctxoem.org/ |
Media inquiries regarding warming centers should be directed to the appropriate office of emergency management. Our local OEMs are responsible for emergency cold-weather sheltering.
For media inquiries regarding what the homeless response system is doing to prepare for the cold front, please share a link to this page and/or contact Catherine Villarreal at cvillarreal@homelesshouston.org.
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Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County