Warming centers open as safe places in Philly during cold snap

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Temperatures are expected to dip well below freezing every night for at least the next week.

The city of Philadelphia is extending hours at some libraries and recreation centers to give people a safe, warm place to go.

“This cold is not just uncomfortable, it is deadly. It is dangerous,” said city Managing Director Adam Thiel. “This is a crisis for folks who don’t have a place to go and get out of the weather.”

Philly’s expanded network of warming centers includes nine libraries open during the day and seven senior and recreation centers open during the night, until the current Code Blue declaration ends. Two warming centers in center city and one in Kensington are open 24/7 for the duration of the declaration.

A map of warming center locations can be found on the city’s website. 

The warming centers provide food and blankets. Staff there can connect people to shelter or other services, city officials said.

“Use them if you don’t have a place to stay. Use them if you’re struggling and for some reason you don’t have heat in your home,” Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said, whose West Philly district includes two of the warming center libraries. “Cold kills, and this is a key way for us to take care of each other.”

Hundreds of people are unsheltered in Philadelphia and every year, people die from the cold.

City officials say shelters have not hit capacity. But even when beds are open within the shelter system, some people living outside may not find a bed meeting their needs in an accessible location, due to addiction, language barriers or a variety of other factors.

City officials say everyone is welcome at the warming centers, including people who use drugs and are not looking to get into treatment.

“If you’re a person who uses drugs, please do not stay outside tonight,” said Keli McLoyd,   director of the city’s Overdose Response Unit. “We are ready to connect you to medication-assisted treatment if that might be something you need, or if you just want to rest and get warm, we’re here to welcome you with open arms.”

City officials declare a Code Blue when temperatures feel near or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The declaration means outreach teams ramp up their efforts to connect people living outside to shelter, and shelters open up additional beds.

The city plans to open its network of warming centers during every Code Blue declaration going forward, Thiel said.