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Funding available for warming shelters in Morro Bay, Atascadero and Paso Robles but locations are needed

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Community-led, city-run and faith-based organizations are all invited to make proposals to the San Luis Obispo County's Department of Social Services to open up a warming center at their respective locations.

After the most recent Point-in-Time Count, a one-day survey of those experiencing homelessness in San Luis Obispo County, officials say the numbers indicated a need for more warming centers in the North County and the North Coast region. The county is now looking to add locations in Atascadero, Paso Robles and Morro Bay.

“When it gets super cold, we have people reaching out to us wanting to know if they can come here and get warm," said Paso Robles Senior Center Coordinator Micki Wright.

“We are really looking for organizations that are wanting to open and run warming centers in those specific areas for at least the next three years," said Katlynn Beatty, San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services Program Manager. "That's how much funding we have, so it will be during the cold season of each year, not 365 [days of the year]."

According to Beatty, there’s only one volunteer-run warming shelter in northern San Luis Obispo County. It's located at Highlands Church on Oak Hill Road in Paso Robles.

“Unfortunately, they're not able to open it all the time," Beatty said. "So we really want to have partners that can help us to work on these creative solutions to keep people safe.”

Wright says the Senior Center simply doesn’t have enough space for families and seniors who are either homeless or on the brink of it, but they do what they can to help with resources.

“I would like to see at least two more warming centers open up here in the North County that have a large space," Wright said.

Beatty says this is also an opportunity for people to be able to seek services from a social worker on-site.

“We will require that they give a warm meal at night," Beatty said. "Usually the check-in is in the evening, so they would check in, get dinner, stay overnight and then in the morning they will have some type of breakfast, probably a to-go type of breakfast, as they leave.”

More information can be found here.