Cool weather expected to fill shelters

Predictions of cool, fall weather have local homeless advocates gearing up for increased usage.

The Road Home downtown homeless shelter brought in an additional 66 men and four women over capacity on Monday night. This weekend, it expects to open the St. Vincent de Paul Center, which can provide shelter for 100 men. It will also clear out space in the lobby of its main shelter, at 210 S. Rio Grande St. (455 West), for another 30 to 40 women, said executive director Matt Minkevitch.

The additional preparations come as authorities reported the death of a 50-year-old homeless man, whose body was found Monday night near the Jordan River. The man, who is believed to have died of natural causes, was known to staff members at The Road Home, Minkevitch said.

"Like some among the population experiencing homelessness, he spent the majority of his time outdoors," he said.

Nighttime temperatures in the Salt Lake Valley will continue dropping into the 40s the next few nights, according to the Salt Lake forecast office of the National Weather Service. Fortunately, the forecast also calls for relatively dry conditions.

The combination of cool and wet weather is what usually puts homeless people at risk, Minkevitch said.

"That's a big concern for us," he said. "And a very uncomfortable night, to be sure, for someone who would be spending it outside."

The Road Home's winter shelter is scheduled to open Nov. 1. But the Midvale facility, which has room for 30 families and 200 single men, could open sooner, depending on weather conditions, Minkevitch said.

Homeless advocates met Tuesday to prepare for the opening of the emergency facility, including representatives from Volunteers of America, which operates a homeless outreach program for adults and street youth. The organization will soon add additional sleeping bags, blankets and warm clothing to its vans, which travel the valley and encourage the homeless to go to the shelters.

Some will make their way to the shelters once weather conditions worsen, said Minkevitch, who had a message for that population on Tuesday.

"I'd like to put an appeal out there to anyone who's in need of shelter: Don't be bashful, give us a call. We live to get people out of these kind of conditions. That's why we exist."

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com