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Emergency cold-weather shelter in Little Rock closes Monday after assisting 130 residents nightly

Little Rock is ending a key cold-weather relief operation by closing the temporary emergency shelter housed in Dunbar Community Center
Credit: Unsplash

Little Rock, Arkansas – The City of Little Rock announced it will be ending a key cold-weather relief operation by closing the temporary emergency shelter housed in Dunbar Community Center on Monday. The closure comes after a period of extreme cold and snow that pushed the shelter’s ongoing operation since last Wednesday.

Originally open around-the-clock from January 8 and first as a nightly refuge from January 5, the shelter has been a haven for people impacted by the severe winter conditions. In response to the improving weather conditions and warmer forecasts, city officials, led by Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., have decided to demobilize the facility after providing vital services including over 1,000 meals to approximately 130 residents nightly over the weekend.

“Our priority for the past week was to offer a safe, warm and dry place to stay for anyone that needed it, and we have done so with the help of city staff and countless community partners and individuals,” Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. said.

“Based on the weather forecasts for the coming week and the recommendation of our Emergency Management staff, we will demobilize the shelter Monday. However, we will continue to actively monitor weather forecasts throughout the rest of the winter and will re-mobilize if the weather is determined to be dangerous to the life safety of our unsheltered populations.”

Little Rock is ending a key cold-weather relief operation by closing the temporary emergency shelter housed in Dunbar Community Center

Credit: Unsplash

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Transportation services will be provided to cover residents having to move to day centers or other lodging. Key community partners helping with these endeavors will be Rock Region Metro, Jericho Way, Second Baptist Church-Downtown, and Central Church of Christ. Case managers will also be on-site during the demobilization to provide necessary support to those requiring additional assistance.

Recommendations from the Emergency Management team, who evaluated weather projections showing almost average temperatures for the next week, guided the decision to close the shelter. The city’s Emergency Management Division uses such forecasts to decide on shelter operations, focusing on the risks posed by extremely cold wind chills or combined adverse weather conditions.

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The City of Little Rock will keep assisting its citizens against the cold even if the emergency shelter at Dunbar will stop operations and go through cleaning and equipment removal on Monday. From Monday through Saturday, several community centers spread throughout the city will remain open as warming centers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. These are the West Central Community Center on Colonel Glenn Road, Stephens Community Center on W. 18th St., and Southwest Community Center on Baseline Road.

Mayor Scott also congratulated Chief Homeless Officer Matthew DeSalvo, who oversaw the shelter operations, and all the staff members from the several municipal agencies including Parks and Recreation, Housing and Neighborhood Programs, and the Little Rock Police and Fire Departments.

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Managing the temporary shelter and guaranteeing the safety and well-being of Little Rock’s most vulnerable residents throughout the winter crisis depended mostly on their combined efforts.

As the city transitions from this temporary emergency response, Mayor Scott reassured everyone that his government will be alert and ready to resume shelter operations should future weather conditions call for it.

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