Additional Cold Weather Shelter Opens Today

Published on January 17, 2025

With dangerous polar freeze temperatures approaching, the Department of Housing Stability is extending its current severe weather shelter activation through the end of the month and is adding an additional shelter location. The St. Charles Recreation Center, 3777 Lafayette St., is opening at 8 p.m. tonight and will provide 24/7 shelter until Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 11 a.m. Denver activated its Cold Weather Shelter plan on Dec. 30 and is now utilizing eight facilities specifically for overflow emergency cold weather shelter. Based on the weather forecast, the current shelter activation will run until at least 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31.

Denver activated its Cold Weather Shelter plan on Dec. 30, and based on the weather forecast, this current activation is running until at least 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31.

Individuals in need of shelter should go to the city’s “front door” shelter access points (denvergov.org/findshelter), which have also expanded capacity for the cold weather. Front door shelters include:

  • For individual men – Denver Rescue Mission Lawrence Street Community Center, 2222 Lawrence St.
  • For individual women – Samaritan House, 2301 Lawrence St.
  • For youth/young adults ages 12-24 – Urban Peak, 1630 S. Acoma St.
  • Families in need of shelter should call the Connection Center at 303-295-3366.

24/7 shelter is also provided at Stone Creek shelter (former Best Western hotel), 4595 Quebec St., the Aspen shelter (former DoubleTree hotel), 4040 Quebec St., and at city facilities located at 2601 W. 7th Ave., and 375 S. Zuni St. In addition, shelter is provided at St. Charles Recreation Center, 3777 Lafayette St.

Warming Centers
Denver Parks and Recreation will open all currently operating recreation centers as daytime warming centers during regular business hours on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 18-19, for people who need a place to warm up. Each center will have a designated area available for warming, with access to drinking water, restrooms, and a place to sit. City facilities will be closed on Monday, Jan. 20, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, however, Carla Madison Recreation Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday as a daytime warming center.

Open Denver Public Library locations are also available to the public as an indoor reprieve from the cold. Double-check library hours in advance: denverlibrary.org/locations.  

Cold weather poses a serious danger to people who are unsheltered, and the city encourages people to come inside. For more information about shelter access, visit denvergov.org/findshelter