The City of Richardson is opening up some buildings to serve as temporary shelters during the cold weather.
Richardson opened the lobby of the police department’s administration building on Greenville Avenue as a place for people to come in out of the cold. That started at 5 p.m. Monday and city officials say that building will remain available until the weather improves and it’s no longer needed.
Richardson is offering a similar service to people at Fire Station Number 3 and Fire Station Number 6. All three of those locations will have places for people to charge their phones and laptops.
In Dallas, the 900-bed shelter at Fair Park is already more than 80% full. It takes an army of volunteers to keep it running. “It is our belief that everyone deserves access to protection from the elements, regardless of their circumstances,” said interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert.
Agencies Austin Street Center and OurCalling , which both operate shelters and serve the homeless community, will run the temporary shelter located at 3701 Grand Avenue at Fair Park.