With heavy rain expected throughout the Bay Area this weekend, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management announced that two pop-up homeless shelters will open in the city starting on Saturday.
The weekend rain is expected to bring wind gusts as high as 40 miles per hour and possible thunderstorms on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The wet weather could result in possible power outages, flooding and downed trees.
“We’re expanding even more through our humanitarian release efforts to work with folks to get them off the streets though the heavy rain this weekend,” according to the city’s Human Services Agency’s Disaster Response Manager Ben Amyes.
The first pop-up shelter, located at the San Francisco County Fair Building’s Hall of Flowers at 1199 Ninth Ave., will open at noon and is expected to close Monday at 9 a.m.
The shelter has enough space to house about 100 people. Pets at this location, however, will not be allowed.
The second pop-up shelter at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium at 99 Grove Street will open at 2 p.m. and close at 9 a.m. on Monday. The shelter is also expected to house about 100 people and has extra space available for families and pets.
In addition to the pop-up shelters, the Human Services Agency said it had expanded space at the homeless shelter at Pier 80.
Members of the San Francisco Department of Health’s Homeless Outreach Team will be conducting outreach to anyone in need of shelter throughout the weekend.
“They’re very familiar with the city and they will fan out and let people know it will be a rainy weekend,” health department spokeswoman Rachael Kagan said.
The Human Services Agency is also providing transportation for homeless residents from the Multi-Service Center South Shelter at 525 Bryant St., to the shelter at the Hall of Flowers.
The public is encouraged to call 311 if they see anyone in need of shelter and outreach team members will provide them with shelter information, according to the emergency management department.
Daniel Montes, Bay City News
