Local homeless shelters prepare for freeze warning

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Homeless shelters in the area are gearing up to see more people ahead of the incoming cold weather. As temperatures have moved into the colder side, frost and freeze alerts are now in effect in areas of the central coast.

This could be a dire situation for the homeless population in the region who face the brunt of the cold in the air as well as the incoming rain.

With temperatures expected to hit as low as 26 degrees, the Coalition of Homeless Services Providers are hard at work to provide shelter to those in need.

"Our first line of response is to get them into shelter. So we create a contact list of all of the decision makers within those organizations so that we can contact them," CHSP executive director Katrina McKenzie said.

This list features shelters from across Monterey and San Benito counties from Hollister to Salinas.

The Chinatown Navigation Center in Salinas shifts from their usual 90-day program for those staying to welcoming more people looking to escape the cold.

“Due to the weather that's coming up and the storms, we bring people in on a daily basis as long as we have beds available. So instead of them having to be here for the whole program, they can be here for one night, a couple of nights just to keep them warm and dry," program coordinator Regina Williams said.

A homeless advocate spoke about what people living in encampments usually face during these freezing and stormy conditions.

“They do try to get blankets, a tarp, a sleeping bag, anything. I mean, because staying dry is going to be one of your main priorities and then being warm on top of that. But, I mean, you know, creating a seal," advocate Wes White said.

But if the weather gets dire, a second phase of response is implemented.

"If the weather falls both for below 45 degrees with a prediction of rain, then those participating organizations that has got with the county are now okay to activate our second line of defense in the response. And that is to get them into a hotel room," McKenzie said.

All of this to make sure that the unhoused remain safe and healthy. These plans for an inclement weather response last from November 1 until March 31, just in time for the stormy winter months.