Warming stations and shelters open throughout the Houston area

Thursday, February 18, 2021

George R. Brown Convention Center provides a warm shelter for Houston's vulnerable

Before the doors opened Sunday afternoon, a long line of people waited in the cold to get in. GRB was one of several shelters in the Houston area over the weekend.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A number of shelters and warming stations are open throughout the region to help those in need during the historically cold weather.

In Houston, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale opened his Gallery Furniture stores at 6006 North Freeway and 7227 West Grand Parkway South in Richmond as warming centers for those in the cold. McIngvale did a similar move after residents needed a place to stay in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

While officials said the George R. Brown Convention Center was opened for people who are homeless and needed a place to stay, it has since reached the maximum capacity of 200 people. Now, closer to 800 people are being sheltered there. Instead, the mayor's office is asking that people call the city's 311 line to find out what facilities are open.

Anyone who shows up now will be placed on warming buses and taken to other facilities serving as warming centers.

For Texans who find themselves stranded without power or in need of warmth, the Texas A&M University System has a warming center locator set up to help find warming locations across the state.

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