The Several Weather and Emergency Shelter (SWES) program provides shelter, food, clothing, counseling, and warmth to homeless individuals during periods of excessively severe weather conditions. 

 

 

The SWES is in operation between the hours of 7 p.m. through 7 a.m. when the following conditions exist between November 15 and March 15:



• Temperature is predicted to be 25 degrees or less factoring in wind chill
• Conditions of freezing rain, heavy snowfall, severe wind chill factor, etc
• During a National Weather Service declared blizzard/emergency weather situation

The shelter serves on average 88 people every night of operation. The unduplicated client count each year will reach over 560 individuals.

 

SWES is operated by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Office of Community Services, in conjunction with Operation Safety Net. For more information, we encourage you to read a Q&A article with with Linda Sheets, program director for Operation Safety Net. 

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