Little Rock’s homeless shelters stretch around the clock as snow threatens

Hours for Little Rock’s emergency shelters and warming centers have been extended through Saturday morning as the capital braces for up to 8 inches of snow.

Aaron SadlerDirector of Communications for the City of Little Rock, said Wednesday at the Dunbar Community Center at 1001 W 16th St. will remain open as a shelter around the clock until 9 Saturday.

The city also invites people who need refuge from the cold to spend the daylight hours at city-run community centers. These include the West Central Community Center at 8616 Colonel Glenn Road; Stephens Community Center at 3720 W. 18th St.; and the Southwest Community Center at 6401 Baseline Road. They will all be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m

Anyone needing transportation to the emergency center at Dunbar Community Center can call The Van, a local homeless support organization, for a free ride. Their number is (501) 955-3444.

High effort

It is a matter of life and death to ensure that people without protection have warm, safe places to go in winter weather; The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office shared information Wednesday about a possibly weather-related death earlier this week.

Joseph Campbell, a 52-year-old Pulaski County man whose address is listed as “homeless,” was found on the side of the road in the 1900 block of E. 46th Street shortly after 1 p.m. 01.00 on January 6. Temperatures in Little Rock dropped to 25 degrees. degrees that night. Campbell was found “with several plastic bags around him,” the sheriff’s office reports.

In Little Rock, people who want to stay in a city-run shelter must register to stay overnight, and only service dogs and cats will be allowed, according to Little Rock’s Extreme Cold Weather Emergency Shelter Plan, provided by Sadler.

“This plan is a working document, subject to changes or revisions as needed,” Sadler said in an email. “For example, the trigger portion of this document has already been changed to reflect ‘any winter weather event deemed to be dangerous to the safety of life of uninhabited individuals’.”

The part of the plan Sadler is referring to currently says temperatures drop to 15 degrees or below, or a “combination of freezing temperatures and precipitation” deemed dangerous to the life safety of Little Rock’s homeless population accompanied by a winter storm warning or The National Weather Service’s Winter Weather Advisory would trigger the opening of the Dunbar shelter.

Complaints and confusion

Wednesday’s news of the expanded shelter schedule came as some advocates for Central Arkansas’ homeless population said Little Rock needs to communicate more clearly about what resources are available, where and when. Angry posters on social media have chastised the city for what they say are muddy or conflicting messages.

Some said communications from the city left them unclear about whether the Dunbar Community Center was open for people to stay warm during the day or whether people who were not at home could only shelter there at night.

Commenters shared their confusion and frustration on a Facebook post made Wednesday from the Little Rock Department of Community Programs.

“Stop sending them out into the cold!!!! It should be open 24/7,” said one Facebook commenter.

Aaron Reddinfounder and CEO of The Van, also criticized communications about shelter hours in a Facebook post Wednesday morning.

Supporters and volunteers for The Van were also sad this week ended confusion over what food might be needed in the city’s shelters and who would provide it.

Little Rock worked with Reddin and The Van to run its emergency shelters in years past. However, Van had a falling out with city officials in March 2024 after the city refused to hand out tents to homeless residents during a homeless event. Reddin, a critic of the city’s practice of tearing down tents at homeless encampments, indicated he was wary of working with the city again.

In June 2024, Little Rock was hired Michael Desalvo as its first chief of the homeless, a position that was funded for the first time in the 2024 city budget. As chief of the homeless, Desalvo is responsible for serving as the shelter manager and coordinating operations at the shelter. The municipality’s employees will act as crisis center staff.