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Austin Activates Five Nights of Cold Weather Shelters as Freeze Returns

The move follows record shelter demand during the winter storm that included a cold-related fatality.

Overview

  • Overnight shelters will operate Jan. 28 through Feb. 1 with registration each evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at One Texas Center, and this activation is overnight-only.
  • CapMetro will transport registered guests from the intake site to undisclosed shelter locations, with an after-hours embarkation option available.
  • Austin’s homelessness office reported a recent peak of more than 850 clients using cold weather shelters, which it described as a city record and a surge that led to seven sites opening.
  • Families with children and unaccompanied minors will be placed in hotel lodging, and meals will be provided at shelter sites.
  • Since Jan. 24, Austin-Travis County EMS has responded to 47 cold-related illness incidents, including one death, alongside elevated overall call volumes.