Major cities in the Netherlands open winter shelters amid a severe cold wave
With temperatures dropping across the Netherlands, winter shelters for the homeless have opened in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. These shelters are activated every year when wind chill reaches dangerous levels that make sleeping outside unsafe. Wind chill is expected to range between 2 and -2 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
The shelter in Amsterdam provides an additional 250 places, while The Hague can accommodate up to 150 people and Rotterdam 165 people. Utrecht offers 175 overnight places, and a new site for daily reception has been opened from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Sleeping is only allowed in the winter night shelters.
The daily shelter next to the Lutheran church in Utrecht provides a warm cup of coffee or tea and an opportunity to talk. Reinier Dijkstra from the Salvation Army emphasized the growing need for such facilities, noting that the number of people living on the streets in Utrecht is increasing and that exposure to the cold has become painfully evident in the city.
Shelter visitors receive a hot meal, a bed, and access to a shower in the evening, and they are required to leave in the morning. There are no conditions to benefit from the winter cold organization, meaning that anyone in need can access these facilities.
The duration of opening winter shelters depends on the weather conditions, and usually lasts for at least three nights. They can also be opened in cases of severe weather or when an orange warning is issued, allowing this plan to be implemented several times throughout the year.