There has been a lot of discussion over the months of 2024 concerning the sole emergency center for unhoused people in Sioux City. The Warming Shelter opened in 2013 in downtown Sioux City in a space provided by the Sioux City Soup Kitchen, and moved eventually to its current location at 916 Nebraska Street.
Earlier this year, officials such as Executive Director Shayla Moore aired a need for more financial support. Warming Shelter officials in early September said they would close as of October 1.
The last few weeks of September have been a whirlwind of people attempting to raise money to keep The Warming Shelter. The Sioux City Council at the beginning of this week approved $150,000 for the shelter, to be delivered in February 2025.
All that resulted in a shift, as today, September 27, The Warming Shelter officials in a press conference announced they will remain open.
For this episode, Warming Shelter Executive Director Shayla Moore spoke at length about the history of services for people experiencing homelessness going back years, how people may become homeless, how people are served at the shelter, and how shelter officials navigate a tight budget.
The last several years have shown there are just under 300 unhoused people in Sioux City.
The shelter has been a beacon and safe place for people experiencing homelessness particularly during the coldest months in Siouxland.
Over 11 years, more than 150,000 nights of shelter were provided, plus other resources for unhoused people. In its 10th year in 2023, Warming Shelter officials extended services to include summer months.
*Click on the audio link above to hear the entire show.
What's The Frequency, Episode 35
