During the winter months, people experiencing unsheltered homelessness face increased risk. Exposure to cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia, a condition that occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce. Limited access to insulated clothing and warm shelter heightens the danger, particularly at night when temperatures often fall below freezing.

For some people, being unhoused begins with sleeping in their car. While a vehicle can provide temporary shelter, it often comes with new challenges, including limited access to safe parking, restrooms and heat. As temperatures drop, staying warm overnight becomes difficult, especially for those who cannot afford fuel or risk drawing attention by running their engines for extended periods.

First United Methodist Church of Fort Collins has been in the process of creating a program called Safe Parking, which aims to aid individuals experiencing homelessness by offering designated, legal places to park overnight, along with access to restrooms and connections to supportive services. These programs also provide a sense of stability and community as participants work toward securing permanent housing.

“Those who have a vehicle often end up in their vehicle,” said Rev. Bradley Laurvick, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church. “Since it’s illegal to live out of your vehicle and spend the night in it, the places that would be safest to sleep in a car are the places you’re most at risk of getting a ticket; the places you’re least likely to get a ticket are the places that are the least safe to actually sleep.”

During this time, Laurvick and his team studied existing programs, drawing lessons from nearby communities such as Loveland, as well as from similar efforts across the country.

“Safe Parking initiatives have happened all over the country in different ways,” Laurvick said. “There was a push by Safe Parking Colorado that we modeled a little bit of our ideas from. In Loveland, they have a great program that’s very successful that we got some ideas and learnings from.”

Outreach Fort Collins is a local program that assists people experiencing homelessness in the Fort Collins area. The team provides direct support in the community, responding to concerns related to behavior, mental health and safety. The organization works throughout downtown, midtown and northern Fort Collins, as well as partners with local businesses, law enforcement, service providers and city departments to keep the community safe and welcoming.

“Our work is really done before the storm comes, trying to be out in the community and making sure people are aware of the weather as it’s coming in,” said Andy Sprain, executive director of Outreach Fort Collins. “Especially making sure they have all the resources that they need, but we’re out there encouraging people to take the severity of the weather seriously and encourage people to get connected with shelters, if possible.”

That work is made possible through collaboration between local organizations, city departments and community partners.

“Collaboration is where we lean in; we work very closely with city officials, shelter staff and first responders,” Sprain said. “We are up to date on what services are available, and we’re active on spreading that out to the community.”

These initiatives are carried out in partnership with the City of Fort Collins, aiming to strengthen coordination and community response.

“Over the winter months, the city helps fund an additional shelter site that is a city building that helps sleep 70 more (people),” said Brittany Depew, homelessness response and solutions lead specialist. “With those 70 added beds, the rescue mission can serve without turning people away in the winter.”

During emergencies, the city takes the lead, bringing together multiple partners to ensure coordinated support for people experiencing homelessness.

“When we do an emergency activation, that’s led by the city, and we have a large number of people who receive the information when it’s declared; it’s really all hands on deck,” Depew said. “We call it officially at the city and then partners step in and support each other to support our unhoused neighbors.”

Community partners like the Homeward Alliance and the Murphy Center for Hope also play an important role in keeping local support networks strong to help shelter homeless individuals at any time.

“Murphy Center has dozens of programs that are there to support people who are unhoused or are in unstable housing, so we are the day resource center for people to get out of heat and cold, have a place to go where they feel like they belong and are not going to be moved along or asked to leave,” said Jackie Marks, Murphy Center director.

Through these discussions, each partner emphasized one key point: People experiencing homelessness are human beings deserving of dignity and respect.

“One of the biggest services that I do, and when I’m talking to people, is to treat people like they’re human beings and not a problem to step over,” Marks said. “Making that real person connection instead of being a statistic thing is really helpful.”