Warming Centers activate as homeless try to find warmth while temperatures drop

While temperatures are set to drop on the Central Coast, Warming Centers are starting to welcome members of the homeless community looking to escape the overnight chill.

Watsonville will see its warming center activated at the United Presbyterian Church Friday evening as temperatures are expected to drop in the mid-30s.

Warming Center Program Director Brent Adams says the centers do not have a population cap and are generally set at different community room-type locations, including churches.

“We put a priority on people with physical mobility challenges,” he adds. “You might notice late at night people in walkers and wheelchairs moving around the community. This doesn’t make any sense, they should all be inside.”

Those homeless individuals who do seek shelter at a warming center are expected to act appropriately.

“If somebody’s acting up we let them know that they made an agreement with us upon entering. But for a hypothermia-oriented center, most people are trying to stay in and don’t make too much trouble,” Adams says.

Drug and alcohol abuse is strictly prohibited inside the warming centers.

Although Santa Cruz County won’t be under a freeze watch Friday night, there’s still concern for the homeless community in Watsonville for as cold as it can get in the city.

Adams says the Santa Cruz Warming Center will not be activated as temperatures have not crossed the threshold which have deemed it necessary to do so.

If it does get that cold, however, his staff of dozens of volunteers will be ready to assist members of the homeless.

The Warming Center which has been activated in Watsonville is located at the United Presbyterian Church on 112 East Beach Street. It will open at 7:30 on Friday evening as the temperatures drop.