Pueblo's neediest residents will be able to go to a new, temporary warming shelter starting Saturday.
The city has been without an overnight homeless shelter since last summer when the Pueblo Rescue Mission shuttered its shelter. But now the Rescue Mission has contracted with the city to operate a new shelter in an old warehouse near downtown at 901 W. Ninth St.
"This is strictly a warming shelter to meet the bare minimum requirements to keep people safe and warm during the very coldest months of the year," said Pueblo Rescue Mission Executive Director Kathryn Cline.
The warehouse will open at 7 p.m. Saturday to single men and women. Shelter guests will have to sleep on mats on the floor, and leave by 8 a.m. every morning.
But it's better than the alternative, Cline said.
"It's been a roller coaster ride," she said. "But we're finally at the end here. It's going to be a great thing for the homeless men and women of Pueblo. Nobody's going to freeze to death now."
The shelter is set to operate until April 30, 2019. City officials are still working on a permanent solution.
