As the temperatures prepare to plunge below zero Wednesday night and wind chills dip to around 20 below zero, the People’s City Mission Homeless Shelter is setting a record for the number of people seeking relief.
The facility was originally built to house between 250 and 280 guests. Beds have been added to expand that capacity, but mission officials say it is an extremely tight fit. The mission says they have a total of 430 people staying in the shelter Wednesday night.
That means that between the men’s and women’s temporary housing units, over 140 men, women and children will be sleeping on mattresses on the floor. When the weather is this extreme PCM does not turn anyone away.
Mission officials say this increase in demand for emergency housing emphasizes the need for an expansion of their facility in the very near future. “People’s City Mission will continue to do everything possible to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness in Lincoln and we are grateful for the ongoing generous support from our community,” PCM said in a statement.