Austin opens overnight cold weather shelters as temperatures dip

Widespread clouds covered much of Texas on Monday as the polar cold front moved through.

National Weather Service

The city of Austin's Homeless Strategies and Operations department said it will open overnight cold weather shelters on Tuesday evening, Dec. 30, as temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s. Hotel lodging will be provided to families with children and to unaccompanied minors seeking a warm place to rest.

The move comes on the heels of a polar cold front, which took hold in Central Texas on Monday morning. Temperatures dropped from 85 to the low 40s, and strong north winds made the chill that much more biting.

How to access a cold weather shelter

If you need to stay in one of the city's cold weather shelters tonight, you must first register for a spot by visiting the One Texas Center at 505 Barton Springs Road between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Bus routes to OTC are lines 1, 7, 10, 20, 30, 105 and 801. The city said those who cannot pay the fare will still be given a ride if they are seeking a cold-weather shelter.

Once registered, all people seeking a warm night's sleep will depart from the OTC straight to their assigned shelter via CapMetro. The shelter locations are not made public for operational and safety reasons.

If you can't make it to the OTC between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., an after-hours embarkation service will also be available for those seeking transportation to a shelter.

Who is eligible for placement in a cold weather shelter?

The program is intended to support people experiencing homelessness, but shelter services are available to anyone in need of a warm place to spend the night.

The cold weather shelter service is activated when temperatures are forecasted to reach 35 degrees or below. Subscribers to the AHSO text alert system will be notified every time the service is activated. Subscribe to receive up-to-date information.

Call the CWS Infoline at (512) 972-5055 for more information about access and activation of shelters.

Guidance for shelter guests

The city said guests are allowed to bring their belongings to the shelters as long as they can transport them to the OTC and onto a CapMetro bus.

Pets are allowed only if they are not aggressive, can be around others, are on a leash, and can sleep with their owners. During registration at the OTC, alert a staff member if a pet will need a crate for the evening.

Meals will be provided.

Depending on capacity, women and couples can be at the same shelter but in a separate area.