If early use is any indication, it's going to be a busy year for The Road Home's emergency winter shelter.

Seven families sought shelter in the Midvale facility on its opening night last week. The following evening, eight families — representing 11 adults and 11 children — and 44 single men stayed at the shelter.

The number of individuals seems consistent from past years, but the number of families using the shelter so early in the year is concerning, said The Road Home's Celeste Eggert, director of development and community relations.

"Over the weekend we had just over 100 single men, about 12 single women and 21 families," said Michelle Flynn, associate director for The Road Home. The figures reflect people staying at both the Midvale shelter and the St. Vincent de Paul Center in Salt Lake City at Rio Grande Street and 200 South, she said.

With room for 31 families and 200 single men, Road Home officials are trying to spread the word that the shelters are now open to keep people off the streets.

"We've got space," she said, "so come in, we'll take care of you."

The Midvale shelter is open from Nov. 1 through April 1. Last year, the emergency winter program offered more than 43,000 shelter nights to 86 families, 1,800 single men and 249 women.

Unfortunately, shelter officials anticipate similar numbers again this winter. "We're definitely anticipating serving as many, if not more, clients this year," Eggert said.

Each night, Midvale clients are bused from The Road Home's downtown facility, 210 S. Rio Grande St., to the Midvale shelter at 529 W. 7300 South. They arrive around 7 p.m., after dinner is served downtown, and return to the main shelter the following day at 6 a.m.

Families are allowed to stay in Midvale, where they receive case management services such as employment counseling and necessary treatment, Eggert said. Children can be enrolled in area schools, and housing assistance is also available.

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Contributing: Joe Bauman

E-mail: awelling@desnews.com