Several homeless families are sleeping in the lobby of the Salt Lake Community Shelter and Resource Center. But when the sun comes up, they have to clear out.
And hundreds of homeless men are sleeping in the Salvation Army dining room as cold weather drives people indoors. But they, too, must find someplace else to be during the day.The Salt Lake shelter system's WOES program - Winter Overflow Emergency Shelter - is in full gear, according to Maun Alston, Travelers Aid Society director. The society operates Utah's largest shelter network.
So far, they've had four families a night staying in the lobby. The number of women seeking shelter exceeds by up to 20 the number of beds available. But the population hardest hit by the cold is the men. As many as 220 have had to be placed elsewhere.
Alston said the people in the overflow program can get on waiting lists for a regular bed in one of the shelters, but the wait can be as much as three weeks.
People staying in the shelter have places to put their personal belongings and access to the shelters during the day. But those on waiting lists who are merely being let in overnight to avoid the cold weather have no such access.
"If anyone has a good idea about a daytime alternative, I'd love to hear it," Alston said.
If she were making a Christmas wish, she said, it would be "more affordable housing in this community so that people working low-paying jobs will be able to get into housing."