Mass Care Shelters

Programs that provide temporary shelter with sleeping accommodations for people whose homes have been made temporarily unsafe or uninhabitable by a major disaster or large-scale emergency that has disrupted the normal functioning of their community and who are unable to find alternative living arrangements. Also included are programs that provide overnight accommodations during extreme cold for people who are at risk of exposure due to a power failure, fuel shortage or other local emergency. Mass shelter care programs may open facilities such as schools, recreation centers and armories prior to or following a disaster or local emergency, or provide amenities such as tents for people who are sleeping in parks and other open spaces.