City of Reno officials said shelter space is available for people experiencing homelessness during extreme cold and snow events predicted for the coming days. Two shelters are available: the Community Assistance Center (CAC) on Record Street and the emergency temporary shelter on East Fourth Street.
“The men’s temporary shelter on Fourth Street houses approximately 307 men and has continually recognized capacity for an additional 30 men since opening,” said Matt Brown, city spokesperson. “Colder nights see higher capacity; but, the shelter has not been full. However, as recently as Monday evening 302 individuals signed up for beds at the Fourth Street location.”
The city issued the following statement this evening:
For the past several years, the City has utilized a winter overflow shelter for 50 individuals from November through April. However, this year with the added COVID-19 restrictions, this wasn’t a viable option. As such, the City took efforts to expand capacity by constructing partition walls to keep individuals socially distanced. This was done in advance of the winter, adding approximately 100 beds and a day area in preparation of the colder temperatures. This additionally allowed the location to remain open 24 hours a day.
The downtown Record Street facility is currently housing 88 men with limited capacity for additional clients. In the past week, the Record Street location has averaged 3-5 empty beds per night.
Similar to past years, the day areas are open for people to remain warm if and when the beds become full. There is space for an additional 30-35 individuals between the tent and CAC locations for warming. While VOA has no immediate plans for expansion due to winter storms, we are in constant contact with VOA in the event we need to open additional space on a temporary basis.
If anyone in the community is in need of housing assistance, they are encouraged to contact VOA (Volunteers of America: 775-329-4141) and/or RISE (Reno Initiative for Shelter and Equality: renoinititative.org) for the women’s shelter for support and case management options during these very cold months to provide the unsheltered a safer, warmer and more stable setting.
In addition to VOA and RISE, the City of Reno would also like to thank the many community partners who continue to assist with this effort. Whether it be individuals such as Grant Denton, who is handing out coats and socks and mittens and has been successful in pushing information about shelters, or entities such as Catholic Charities, who continually open up their dining room and warming space.
