Loudoun Hypothermia Shelter For Homeless Residents To Open In Mid-November

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — As the weather gets colder, people experiencing homelessness won't have to spend frigid nights outside.

Loudoun County's hypothermia shelter opens for the season on Nov. 15. It is open to single adults 18 and older who are experiencing homelessness. The Hypothermia Prevention Shelter is located at 16450 Meadowview Court in Leesburg, just past the Loudoun Homeless Services Center. It will be open nightly from 5 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. through March 31, 2025. Loudoun County residents are prioritized for placement in the shelter.

Although Loudoun County is one of the nation's top income counties, homelessness exists. According to the point-in-time count released by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in January, there were 303 homeless people counted in Loudoun County. That's up from 220 in 2023 and about triple the level in 2022. The next point-in-time count will happen on Jan. 22, 2025.

Guests staying in the hypothermia shelter will be asked to store personal belongings except limited essential items in on-site secure storage. Guns and ammunition are prohibited in county facilities.

In between nightly stays at the shelter, guests can receive daytime drop-off services at the Loudoun Homeless Services Center (19520 Meadowview Court, Leesburg) from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily or the Eastern Loudoun Drop-In Center (21641 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 111, Sterling) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Services include meals, laundry, showers, and community resources such as food, clothing, medical care, mental health care, public benefits, obtaining an ID and employment opportunities.

The Hypothermia Prevention Shelter and the Loudoun Homeless Services Center are operated by Loudoun County with Shelter House, Inc. and the Loudoun County Continuum of Care. The Continuum of Care is a coalition of public, nonprofit and faith-based partners providing shelter and support services to homeless people and those at risk of homelessness.

Free bus transportation will be provided to the shelter from:

• Sterling: Loudoun County Transit Bus Route 82 bus stop across the street from the William Watters House, 22365 Enterprise St. in Sterling. Pickup time is 5 p.m.
• Leesburg: The front of the Shenandoah Office Building, 102 Heritage Way NE in Leesburg. Pickup time is between 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

More information about resources for homeless residents is available on the county's website.