With Kentucky’s first significant winter storm of the year headed to the area Sunday, Louisville Metro Government leaders are preparing for the possibility of significant snowfall and precipitation amounts with warming centers for the city’s unhoused population.
Amid colder temperatures, Salvation Army and Christian Wayside Mission are the two Louisville resources operating as overnight shelters for unhoused members of the community.
Data from the Kentucky Housing Corporation shows around 4,800 people were unhoused in the commonwealth in January 2023. In Louisville, just fewer than 600 people were unsheltered and an additional 1,133 were in emergency shelters in a January count.
Here’s what we know.
Kentucky Kentucky winter storm: Snow and ice to move into area Sunday. What to know
Warming centers open Sunday
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Hope International AOH Church of God, 2330 Algonquin Parkway; open from 2-5 p.m.
Warming centers open Monday
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Hope International AOH Church of God, 2330 Algonquin Parkway; open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
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Exodus Family Ministries, 4205 Cane Run Road; open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
There are also Neighborhood Place locations that will function as warming centers during normal business hours.
Libraries open Sunday
The following libraries will be open from 1-5 p.m. Sunday and reopen Monday morning.
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Main Branch, 301 York St.
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Northeast Regional Branch, 15 Bellevoir Circle
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South Central Regional Branch, 7300 Jefferson Blvd.
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Southwest Regional Branch, 9725 Dixie Highway
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Bon Air Branch, 2816 Del Rio Place
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Iroquois Branch, 601 W. Woodlawn Ave.
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St. Matthews Branch, 3940 Grandview Ave.
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Shawnee Branch, 3912 W. Broadway
Shelters operating as ‘white flag’ locations
Several shelters in the Louisville metro area will open their doors when the city has declared a “white flag operation,” typically when daily high temperatures drop below 35 degrees. The following shelters have announced they will open during the upcoming storm:
Salvation Army
911 S. Brook St.
Salvation Army’s day shelter operates from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. with white flag check-ins from 6-10 p.m. depending on availability.
Calls can be made to the Coordinated Shelter Access line at 502-637-2337 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. to make reservations for a bed, although they aren’t required. Thirty beds are available for men and 10 for women during white flag operations.
Wayside Christian Mission
432 E. Jefferson St.
Wayside Christian Mission will shelter men, women and families during white flag conditions with check-in beginning when the white flag is called for the day. No reservations are needed and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis with a capacity of around 200.
Free TARC transportation to participating shelters
TARC spokesperson Alex Posorske said when white flag operations are called in Louisville and Southern Indiana, free transportation is offered to those who need it to the closest bus stop to the participating shelter locations.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Which Louisville shelters will be open during January winter storm?