Mecklenburg County’s homeless shelters are expanding their capacity this weekend because of cold temperatures and predicted wintry weather.
The Salvation Army Center of Hope shelter at 534 Spratt St. will add 50 beds and Roof Above’s Lucille Giles Men’s Shelter at 3410 Statesville Ave. plans to add mats, according to a Friday news release from the county. Roof Above will operate its day services center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and the men’s shelter will open at 4:30 p.m. Single women and families can go to the Salvation Army shelter between 9 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. or call 211.
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) buses will transport people for free to both shelters Friday through Sunday.
The county said on Friday that homeless outreach teams had been sent to encampments to encourage people to go to a shelter or to provide blankets and coats to those who refuse to relocate.
As of Friday morning, a winter weather advisory had been issued for the Charlotte area from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday. The National Weather Service said rain and snow were likely before 10 p.m. Friday, then snow and patchy fog, with new snow accumulation of around one inch possible. Overnight lows were predicted to dip below freezing both Friday and Saturday night.
