Philadelphia declared the first Code Blue of the season as temperatures dipped below freezing over the weekend. It remains in effect Monday, until further notice.
The designation triggers extra precautions to protect people living on the streets from frigid conditions. The city calls a Code Blue when the temperature feels near or below 20° Fahrenheit due to wind chill, or when rain or snow falls while the temperature is 32° Fahrenheit or lower.
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The homeless services office prepares extra shelter beds and emergency housing during a Code Blue. An outreach team is also on call 24 hours to locate unhoused people and bring them to heated indoor spaces.
The team runs a hotline at 215-232-1984 where anyone can call asking for assistance for themselves or a stranger on the street. Operators will dispatch service workers to the location provided.
Anyone experiencing homelessness can also seek shelter at one of the city's intake centers. The Appletree Family Center at 1430 Cherry St. and Roosevelt Darby Center at 804 N. Broad St. are both open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the Veterans Multi-Service Center operates Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Families seeking overnight assistance can visit the ACTS After Hour Intake Site at 1300 E. Tulpehocken St. or the Red Shield Family Residence at 715 N. Broad St. Both are open daily, including on holidays and weekends.
Single men are welcome at the Mike Hinson Resource Center at 1701 W. Lehigh St., while single women can visit the Gaudenzia House of Passage at 111 N. 49th St. The homeless services office encourages individuals to seek out the shelter that most closely fits their gender identity. Both centers operate seven days a week, including weekends and holidays.
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