Mobile warming buses and 24-hour shelters are open in St. Louis until further notice as icy temperatures linger following several inches of snow that blanketed the region over the weekend.
Mayor Cara Spencer said Monday the city had expanded shelter spaces for unhoused people to over 1,000 beds. She said shelters across the city were generally operating at 90% capacity as of Monday afternoon, but a city spokesman noted that the numbers fluctuate.
“We’ve had some challenges making sure that while we’re keeping those shelter spaces open — not only at nighttime, we’re keeping them open during the day so folks don't have to leave and go out into the elements in this extreme cold,” Spencer said. Community partners like Gateway 180 and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis have been working to expand access to shelters throughout the city.
The city last weekend activated Code Blue under its winter weather emergency plan and increased the number of available shelter beds after temperatures dropped below 10°. Low temperatures will be in the single digits the rest of this week, with a high of 30 degrees forecast for Tuesday.
As shelters fill up, the risk of illness also increases.
Spencer said the administration has been working with the city's Department of Health to address the spread of communicable diseases at shelters, which are infectious illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi that easily pass from person to person. It wasn’t immediately clear how bad the spread of diseases has been at shelters, however.
“(The Health Department has been) stepping in identifying some issues with communicable diseases and making sure that we're addressing those to keep our folks in those most vulnerable situations as safe as possible throughout this cold weather event,” Spencer said.
The city has a few mobile warming buses that are available this week at select locations. They’re primarily used to transport people to shelters, but city leaders said people can also use them for warmth if they’re not seeking transportation.
The vehicles are mobile, not stationary, for safety and security reasons, Spencer said. They were recently revamped in efforts to support unhoused individuals and people displaced by the May 16 tornado.
A warming bus was added on Saturday at North 10th Street and Cass Avenue and will be available to transport people until Friday between 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., city officials said. Metro Call-A-Ride shuttles are also transporting people to shelters.
“So, the main point is to get people to shelter, but we do have a stationary warming bus or facility that people can use during those hours, whether or not they're going to shelter,” a city spokesman said.
Those seeking transportation to shelters can get picked up between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the following rally point locations:
- Urban League Women's Business Center, 4401 Natural Bridge Ave.
- Centenary United Methodist Church, 1610 Olive St. (use the Pine Street entrance)
- Loughborough Commons Parking Lot, 1020 Loughborough Ave. (between Schnucks and Lowe’s)
- 10th and Cass Avenue in north St. Louis
City officials said that each rally point has either a warming bus or an indoor warming facility available, and that each shuttle is staffed with a driver and an outreach worker.
Individuals can contact the United Way 211 Helpline by dialing 211 for assistance.
