Juneau’s cold weather emergency shelter opened for the season on Wednesday, October 15. The shelter is in its third year of operation at a city-owned warehouse at 1325 Eastaugh Way in Thane, and is run by the nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul.
As the nighttime weather hovered in the mid-40s this week, the shelter welcomed 14 patrons on the first night, and 20 the second, according to Jennifer Skinner, executive director at St. Vincent de Paul.
Skinner says that they often serve 50 to 60 people a night once the temperature starts to drop below freezing.
“It is an absolute resource to keep people alive and safe during the harsh weather months that we experienced here,” Skinner said.
The shelter is funded by the City and Borough of Juneau, and operates on an estimated cost of $250,000 each season, according to a CBJ report from last spring.
It is open to anyone in need of an overnight stay, under an agreement to not be disruptive to staff or other patrons. The shelter has heating and electricity, and indoor plumbing and restrooms as of last year. St. Vincent de Paul collects donations of blankets and warm winter clothing for the patrons.
Still, Skinner says, the shelter does not address the underlying problem: A lack of affordable housing in Juneau. The shelter plays into the difficult balance of investing in essential short-term services while funding long-term solutions.
“Where do we put our money to fix the issues?” Skinner said. “It is quite a conundrum for the city and any of our nonprofit stakeholders in our community to address.”
The shelter is open nightly from 9:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. There is a free shuttle service that picks up patrons on Teal Street in Mendenhall Valley and at the library and the transit center downtown. The shelter will remain open through April 15.
