With high winds and sub-freezing temperatures expected in the next several days, the City of Lexington will likely activate its emergency winter weather plan. That’s according to Jeff Herron, the city’s director of Homeless Prevention and Intervention. Herron said the plan will probably stay in place until Wednesday, with the city’s congregate shelter providers adding overflow beds.
“They'll also be working to relax restrictions for individuals that have previously been suspended for programmatic or behavioral reasons. Unless it would be something that would be a very serious previous events like violence.”
Herron said in those cases, shelter managers will contact his office to try to ensure there’s a shelter bed available to all who seek one. He said homeless outreach efforts began Thursday and some of the people they contact will stay at the new temporary shelter at the North Lexington YMCA.
“That temporary shelter adds 160 beds for adult men and women to our system. They're also able to accommodate pets, which can be a barrier that we don't want to keep somebody out of emergency shelter.”
Herron said city leaders are communicating with the Hope Center, which operates that shelter, to plan how to expand capacity to 200 beds.
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