BOZEMAN - With frigid temperatures remaining in the forecast this week, the HRDC issued a Code Blue, now they are extending hours past their normal hours to protect those who are experiencing homelessness from the cold. They will be open Friday, Dec. 31 and Saturday, Jan. 1. Normally they are closed on both Friday and Saturday.
“This has been something that has been in place for years at HRDC; it's just been a protocol for our board,” says Brian Guyer, Housing Director for HRDC.
Temperatures have been hovering in the teens for the past week and with continued cold taking place for the Bozeman area for the upcoming week, the need to open up the Warming Center has been necessary now more than ever.
“They can come in and there is a safe for them; we don't want them to feel like they have to brave these elements alone,” says Guyer.
Guyer says that even with a warm start to the winter now that the cold is here they are working around the clock making up for lost time.
“We had a pretty forgiving winter so the numbers haven't been completely overwhelming but we have seen them go up pretty dramatically over the last week,” says Guyer.
With 7 people losing their lives while experiencing homelessness in 2021, they want to make sure people know they have a warm place to go.
“It doesn't sit well with us and we want to make sure and we want to make sure that our doors are open so that people who want to come in from the cold have a safe place to come,” says Guyer.
Guyer says that budgets are tight but are more worried about keeping people safe at the moment; they of course always welcome community support.
