This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Road Home will open its Community Winter Shelter location in Midvale on Monday.
The emergency shelter, at 529 W. 7300 South, will remain open through April 1, said Celeste Eggert, director of development.
During the winter months, Eggert said they typically see "a dramatic increase in the number of people needing shelter."
On a typical night, the shelter serves about 700 people. During the winter, that number can jump to 1,200.
In addition, the Road Home has opened its "no questions asked" shelter at the St. Vincent De Paul Center across from the main homeless shelter at 210 S. Rio Grande St., she said.
During the day, the center serves lunch and dinner. After dinner, organizers are turning it into a place where those under the influence of a substance — like drugs and alcohol — can stay with no questions asked.
During the warmer months, those under the influence are generally turned away from the main shelter, but Eggert said organizers want to make sure everyone has a safe, warm place to stay at night during the winter.
"There is no reason anybody shouldn't come into shelter," she said.
Early Sunday morning, one homeless woman was killed and a homeless man was injured after they allegedly became intoxicated and decided to sleep on the railroad tracks. The two were struck by a train.
Eggert said the "no questions asked" shelter would have been a safe place for the two to sleep.
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