Homeless shelters in Bowling Green and Owensboro have opened due to dropping temperatures.  These shelters can house around a dozen people a night. The problem is that there are too many people to house and not enough beds to house them.

The shelters are forced to work like a lottery system to determine who gets to sleep indoors.  Sharli Rogers, a program coordinator for Room in the Inn, a homeless shelter that opened November 15th told WKU’s npa affiliate, “And those that we can’t take at all that didn’t get in on the lottery, basically what we’re doing is we’re offering them a sleeping bag and a tarp to protect themselves for the evening.”  Rogers also asks the unlucky ones to come back at 6:00 a.m. to make sure they’re OK.

Rogers addressed the misconception that homeless seeking shelter are not trying to make a living.  Many of the homeless have jobs that cannot support an apartment at the moment.

The temperature is dropping to the point where shelters hang white flags outside.  This flag signals that the temperature or weather will be dangerous at night and you should seek shelter. Many homeless, however, are unable to stay at the shelters due to the limited housing space.