Austin church serves as warming shelter, city sees record number of overnight stays

Churches and nonprofits are also helping out with the high demand and making sure no part of the city goes without service.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- At least 649 people stayed overnight in Austin's cold weather shelters.

It's a new record, according to city officials.

If the need grows, the city's Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Ken Snipes said they can expand.

"We're monitoring daily the number of people who are entering shelters," Snipes said. "We have the ability to add more shelters. We have those as part of our planning process."

Churches and nonprofits are also helping out with the high demand and making sure no part of the city goes without service.

'Our job is just to love on them for the night'

The halls of Oak Hill Methodist Church in Austin are normally filled with churchgoers.

But for the past few days, it's served as a warming shelter.

During this arctic front, the church welcomed in dozens of unhoused people.

"Seven years ago, we pulled together about eight churches in the Oak Hill area, and formed the Oak Hill Community Alliance. We wanted to address issues from this area," Vicki Matustik, the church's director of connections and service, said.

Matustik said something that kept coming up was the need to help unsheltered people.

"The biggest way we address that is when the temperatures are going to drop below freezing for a period of time, we activate and open the shelter," Matustik said.

Matustik said the church is located in the suburbs of Austin, so they're able to help fill gaps in areas outside of downtown.

"The city does a great job. There is just an awful lot of people sleeping unsheltered in our community," Matustik said. "We start with focusing on our neighbors in our area."

'Welcome you with open arms'

For guests like Giancarlo Pearson, this resource is a blessing.

"In the middle of the night, the fire went out. My blankets started freezing over," Pearson said. "I heard a voice saying, 'Does anyone want to go to a shelter?' So I was the first one to say 'Yes, I want to go.'"

Pearson said it has given him the drive to keep pushing through this rough patch he's in.

"You get, I guess, to a point where you start to lose hope, you know. There's no one to turn to," Pearson said. "These wonderful people open their doors and welcome you with open arms."

City leaders believe shelter numbers are higher than ever because of improved efforts to communicate with the unhoused community.

They said text messages helped spread the word about shelter operations, as well as having partner organizations going to campsites to share the information in person.