As Colorado continues to be pounded by storms, homeless shelters in Colorado Springs are overflowing with people looking to get out of the cold.
The Gazette reports that the Springs Rescue Mission's cold-weather shelter has been operating at capacity since opening in November, prompting operators to institute a lottery system. The severe weather on Monday did not change that plan.
The Salvation Army's 200-bed center and cold-weather shelter were also nearly full.
As the city works to house homeless in the cold, the Colorado Springs Fire Department has increased the capacity at one of the Salvation Army's shelters by 58, with some people to sleep on chairs.
Social workers say the storm's arrival Monday was fortuitous; many people received their Social Security disability checks in time to take shelter.
