The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has opened its climate-controlled foyer as an emergency warming shelter for people experiencing homelessness during the current cold snap, welcoming individuals, families and well-behaved pets.
Two people used the makeshift shelter in the foyer on Wednesday night, sleeping in sleeping bags provided by the sheriff's office. Sheriff Aaron Hanson said each person had unique circumstances that brought them to seek shelter.
"All he needed was some time and a safe place to be until he could charge his phone and call for a ride the next morning," Hanson said about one of the individuals. "The woman was a little bit more complicated case, an outreach coordinator for the sheriff's office had to work with the city's outreach team to connect that individual not only with temporary shelter but with resources in terms of behavioral health, Social Security benefit assistance because she had been not receiving her Social Security disability checks for 5 months."
The foyer is stocked with snacks, toothbrushes, toothpaste and water, all donated by community members.
Space in the foyer is limited, so availability operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. Hanson said they chose to allow cats and dogs so no one has to sleep outside in dangerous cold conditions.
"We've even provided dog food and cat food and a dog bowl, food bowl and water for your pet as well," Hanson said. "The ultimate goal is we want to get you safe and ultimately get you into a safe place long term."
Hanson emphasized the foyer is designed for emergency situations only.
"It's not meant to be a shelter," Hanson said. "It's for emergent situations where people would otherwise have to live and sleep outside in the brutal cold."
The emergency foyer shelter comes as local homeless services face increased demand. Linda Twomey, executive director at the Sienna Francis House, said shelter stays were up 7,000 in 2025 compared to 2024. Wednesday night, 464 people stayed at the shelter, and this weekend they're operating under overflow emergency protocols.
The sheriff's office foyer will remain open 24/7. In emergencies, a deputy can pick up individuals and transport them to the foyer.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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