With the National Weather Service forecasting high temperatures this weekend, the City of Sacramento will activate the Outreach and Engagement Center (OEC) at 3615 Auburn Blvd. and the Sam & Bonnie Pannell Community Center at 2450 Meadowview Road as a respite centers.
The OEC will operate Saturday (Aug. 5), Sunday (Aug. 6) and Monday (Aug. 7) from 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following morning, ending Tuesday (Aug. 8) at 7 a.m.
The Auburn Boulevard site can accommodate up to 50 people at a time. The center has storage available for personal belongings if needed and will accept pets. Snacks will be available.
The Sam & Bonnie Pannel Community Center will operate Saturday (Aug. 5), Sunday, (Aug. 6) and Monday (Aug. 7) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The community center does not allow pets. Snacks will be provided, and personal storage will be limited to what visitors can carry with them.
In addition to air-conditioning, both sites will offer water and places to recharge phones and other devices.
Libraries and community centers will also be available during their normal hours of operation where people in need can use these air-conditioned buildings as places to cool off.
The City’s partnership with Regional Transit continues to provide no-cost transportation to and from weather respite centers during their operation.
To ride free, screenshot or print this SacRT Free Ride Flyer to Cooling Centers August 2023 and present it to the bus operator upon boarding, or show light rail fare inspection staff upon request. Only valid to and from activated cooling centers.
The City recently broadened its weather respite criteria to provide additional protection from Sacramento’s diverse and extreme weather and climate events. The City can now open centers when the NWS issuance of an Excessive Heat Watch, Warning or Heat Advisory for hot weather.
“By broadening the weather respite criteria, the City can now provide more options for residents to seek respite and safety from the elements,” said Nick Golling, Homeless Services Manager for the City.
The City will continue to monitor the NWS’s forecast and extend weather-respite operations as needed. The City will also monitor capacity at the OEC to determine if other activations are necessary.
Other nearby cities also are offering places to cool down. The days and hours of these operations vary. Please call 2-1-1 or visit https://www.211sacramento.org/211/ .