City Continues to Support Residents as Temperatures Climb into the 90s

TACOMA, Wash. – With temperatures anticipated to rise into the 90s for several days starting Sunday, July 7, the City of Tacoma’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department will continue to deploy outreach teams and volunteers to provide unsheltered individuals with access to water and masks. Cooling centers will also open throughout Tacoma.

The City of Tacoma has worked with its providers to expand shelter capacity when temperatures reach or exceed 90 degrees, or when the Air Quality Index reaches 151 or higher. Non-emergent encampment removals from public property and City rights-of-way are also paused during inclement weather events that meet this threshold.

Additional shelter beds will be made available at:

• Catholic Community Services’ Nativity House (702 S. 14th St.)
  This location offers an additional 80 shelter beds for individuals experiencing homelessness who are over 18 years of age.
• Beacon Young Adult Shelter (415 S. 13th St.)
  This location offers an additional 20 shelter beds for young adults experiencing homelessness who are 18 to 24 years of age.

The City of Tacoma will support the library system with water on inclement weather days and Tacoma Public Library locations can be used as cooling centers during regular operating hours. A list of library locations and hours is available at tacomalibrary.org. Pierce County also partners with local providers and the Pierce County Library System to provide cooling center resources and locations in Tacoma and surrounding areas. 

Details about inclement weather resources during the summer season are available at cityoftacoma.org/inclementresources. Tacoma residents are also encouraged to sign up for the Tacoma Alert for updates on inclement weather, natural disasters, and other emergency incidents at cityoftacoma.org/TacomaAlert. 

Community members with questions about City of Tacoma services can continue to reach out to the Tacoma FIRST 311 Customer Support Center through the Tacoma FIRST 311 mobile app for Apple and Android devices, the City’s website, or by dialing 311 within Tacoma city limits and (253) 591-5000 from anywhere else.