ST PETERSBURG -- Pinellas County will open cold weather shelters Friday and Saturday nights, as a cold front is expected to bring in the chilliest Christmas weather in a few years.
The Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas says eight shelters will be open for individuals, from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg. Families looking for shelter in Pinellas should call 2-1-1.
The Alliance CEO, Monika Alesnik, says shelters could also open Sunday night, depending on whether the "feels like" temperature is forecast at 40 degrees or below on a given night. She says a Sunday evening opening is also a possibility depending on weather.
Alesnik says they're expecting heightened demand, in part because of the housing market. The system has 300 beds for individuals. She says there is significant need for space in mid- and north Pinellas. Alesnik says the alliance has 111 families on a wait list for permanent housing. She says developers are buying up and closing mobile home parks, reducing availability for many people.
Shelter locations are listed below:
• Boys and Girls Club of the Suncoast 111 West Lime Street, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 6:00pm – 6:00am Clearwater
• First United Methodist Church of Clearwater 411 Turner Street, Clearwater, FL 33755 6:00pm – 6:00am
• The Refuge Outreach Church 606 Alden Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33755 6:00pm – 6:00am Pinellas Park
• Boys and Girls Club of the Suncoast 7790 61st Street North, Pinellas Park, FL 33781 6:00pm – 6:00am
• Northwest Church 6330 54th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33709 6:00pm – 6:00am
• WestCare Turning Point 1810 5 th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 6:00pm – 6:00am
• Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg 100 Mirror Lake Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 6:00pm – 6:00am Please Note: This location requires the use of stairs
• Salvation Army – St. Petersburg 1400 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 6:00pm – 7:30am Shelters for Families with Childre
Listen to an interview with Monika Alesnik below:
Photo: Canva