As temperatures hit 100 degrees in Denver, advocates are calling on the city to expand access to cooling shelters for families and people experiencing homelessness.
Denver opens cooling areas at city recreation centers and public libraries during business hours when a heat advisory is in effect. The city activated cooling areas Sunday and Monday in response to the high temperatures.
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However, some advocates say that’s not enough, and are urging the city to expand access to cooling centers and open dedicated emergency shelters for extreme heat days. On Sundays, only about a quarter of the city’s rec centers and libraries are open and close at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.
“When they’re shut down at four or five, and no one has nowhere to go, or access to water, or anything, it’s hard. It’s really hard,” said Amanda Trujillo, whose family is experiencing homelessness and spent Sunday cooling off at the Sam Gary Branch Library.
Amy Beck, the founder of Together Denver, is urging the city to open dedicated emergency cooling shelters during extreme heat events, mirroring the emergency shelter protocols Denver already uses for severe winter weather…