HOUSTON – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, joined by Commissioner Rodney Ellis, visited the Lincoln Park Community Center in Precinct One on Monday as the facility operated as a warming shelter during the recent winter weather event.
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During the visit, Hidalgo and Ellis toured the center, met with staff and residents, and assessed conditions as well as the ongoing needs of people sheltering there. The Lincoln Park Community Center was one of 20 warming shelters opened across Harris County to provide temporary refuge, medical support, and basic necessities for residents impacted by freezing temperatures, rain, and hazardous road conditions.
Following the tour, Hidalgo and Ellis held a joint news conference outlining the county’s response and providing updated shelter and safety information.
Hidalgo said Harris County experienced higher-than-normal shelter usage during the winter event, driven largely by a combination of cold, wet weather and unsafe travel conditions. County officials reported that 1,044 people used shelters countywide on Sunday, with that number increasing to 1,417 on Monday.
“This is the highest level of shelter usage I’ve seen in my eight years in office,” Hidalgo said, noting that many shelter residents were not chronically homeless. “Some people own homes that have been in their families for generations, but those homes aren’t weatherized or don’t have reliable heating.”
Hidalgo also said several shelters, including Lincoln Park, were equipped to serve medically vulnerable residents. Nurses and trained volunteers assisted individuals recently discharged from hospitals who did not have a safe, warm place to recover.
Despite icy conditions and freezing temperatures, county leaders said emergency response call volumes remained near average levels. Hidalgo credited residents for heeding warnings to stay off the roads and take safety precautions, even as first responders handled an increase in weather-related incidents such as icy roadway crashes and carbon monoxide concerns.
Commissioner Ellis praised the collaborative response among county departments, the City of Houston, and nonprofit partners, particularly the American Red Cross, which staffed and managed many of the shelters.
“This center sits right in the heart of the neighborhood, and it served dozens of people safely,” Ellis said. He also warned residents to remain cautious, noting that standing water could refreeze overnight and create black ice, especially on bridges and older drainage systems.
County officials said 18 of the 20 shelters remained open overnight, with six accepting pets. Residents within Harris County who needed transportation to a shelter were encouraged to call 311. Most county-run shelters were expected to demobilize Tuesday following the final cold night, with staff working to ensure no one was left without a place to go.
Hidalgo also encouraged residents to stay informed through official county channels, including ReadyHarris.org , which provides updates on shelter locations, hours, price-gouging reporting, and emergency resources.
As part of long-term preparedness efforts, Hidalgo highlighted a new initiative through Volunteer Houston aimed at registering up to 5,000 volunteers ahead of hurricane season, allowing the county to quickly connect trained volunteers with agencies such as the Red Cross during future emergencies.
County operations, including jury duty and other services, were set to resume Tuesday.
Officials urged residents to remain cautious overnight, protect pipes from freezing, and continue monitoring conditions as the county transitioned out of emergency response mode.