With the first real cold snap of the fall upon the South Coast, Good Samaritan and the County of Santa Barbara have announced the opening of their emergency warming shelters for people living on the streets or in encampments or no place at all.
The Freedom Warming Centers, as they are called — named after the nickname of a homeless individual who froze to death in his wheelchair many years ago — will activate November 29. In Santa Barbara, the center will be at the Unitarian Society at 1535 Santa Barbara Street. Other centers will be opening in Lompoc and Santa Maria.
The centers are open only when temperatures are predicted to plunge to 35 degrees or below or when the probability of rain is a greater than 50 percent chance for two days in a row. Homeless rights advocates have complained these thresholds are too parsimonious and leave vulnerable individuals unduly at risk to the elements. County administrators counter that the additional costs and the logistical required of mobilizing the additional volunteers needed to staff these facilities is prohibitive.
At the last official homeless count, it was determined there were 1,887 people living on the streets or in shelters, cars, or encampments.