Next week’s very cold temperatures might provide a good excuse for some Michiganders to curl up at home with a book and blanket, but others who are experiencing housing instability look to find shelter to weather the low temperatures.
An incoming Arctic air blast is expected to hit the Great Lakes region starting Sunday, prompting temperatures to fall below zero Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday throughout large portions of Michigan. Homeless shelters and warming centers throughout the state are preparing to house those who are at risk of life-threatening cold.
Exposure to extreme cold can cause hypothermia, when your body temperature falls below 95℉, and lead to death. Frostbite occurs when the cold damages body tissue, and can occur in just minutes in extremely low temperatures.
Michigan’s homeless population has grown over the past year, and a recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development states that 9,739 Michiganders did not have permanent housing in 2024.
Shelly Hoffman, vice president and chief operating officer at Shelter of Flint, said the group’s shelter is preparing for the cold weather but is currently full. She said the organization is calling in extra staff, opening a new warming center, and moving families out of the shelter into permanent housing as quickly as possible.
“The community's warming center is at capacity,” Hoffman told Michigan Public. “And so we are trying to do what we can to kick in and help and provide some space for people to get out of the cold.”
Hoffman said many other shelters are stepping up in the Flint area to open up more spaces during the upcoming cold temperatures, though staffing is a limitation.
Cities have also enacted extreme weather plans. The city of Lansing activated “Code Blue” earlier this week, which encourages local shelters to open more spaces and extend hours.
Mark Criss is the executive director of City Rescue Mission of Lansing, a homeless shelter and Christian organization. Criss said the group is working collectively with other organizations in the Lansing area to provide shelter for those who need it.
“We expect Sunday night, Monday, and Tuesday to be in negative wind chill,” Criss said. “And so this is a condition of people can lose limbs and lose their life. And so we want to make sure that people are able to have a safe place to be off the streets.”
The National Weather Service suggests those who venture out into the cold temperatures dress appropriately for the cold, carry a charged cell phone, and pack winter survival kits in vehicles.
