Tahoe Warm Room finds new location - opens December 12

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless has announced the opening of their Warm Room for the 2018-19 season on Wednesday, December 12. This year they will be located inside the old Emerald Bay Dentistry office at 1201 Emerald Bay Road in South Lake Tahoe.

The Warm Room will operate nightly from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. through April 2019.

For the fourth year, the Warm Room will provide overnight refuge from the elements in a safe and warm environment for approximately twenty-five adult men and women who are experiencing homelessness during winter months.

Not only do they provide beds, the Warm Room also offers community resources including outreach from health and human services, outreach from the Department of Mental Health, information on Rapid Rehousing, substance abuse support groups, and support with career and education goals through collaboration with local agencies and organizations

“We would like to thank our new neighbors on Emerald Bay Road for their support and valuable feedback on how we can best operate in the area,” said Marissa Muscat, the executive director of Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless. “We look forward to maintaining a safe and warm environment for those experiencing homelessness in our community while providing access to resources to obtain housing.”

The rules of the Warm Room:

- Guests must arrive between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
- No loitering around facility before or after operating hours
- Only adults 18 and over are permitted
- Other arrangements made for families and children
- No pets (service animals excepted)
- No in-and-out privileges after check-in
- No smoking, alcohol, or drugs use (including medical marijuana) permitted
- No weapons, violence, or disrespect any kind permitted.

The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless is seeking donations, both monetary and products for guests and operations of the facility for the winter.

Checks can be made payable Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless and mailed to PO Box 13514, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151. Donations can also be made on their website at https://tahoehomeless.org.

In kind gifts to meet the needs of individual guests or for the operation of the Warm Room can be made through the Coalition's Amazon Wish List at https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1GA9YZNYGML2T. Donations of clothing, blankets, toiletries and other necessities for guests are also accepted at the Warm Room – contact Susie Stich at susie@tahoehomeless.org or 530-600-2822 to schedule a drop-off.

About Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless
Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that works with local, state, and federal agencies to decrease local homelessness through a “Housing First” approach. Our goal is to assist homeless individuals in stabilizing their lives and finding long-term housing. Last year nineteen people found housing while staying in the Warm Room. Two veterans were connected to out-of-state family and returned home. Of those who stayed, 27 percent had employment, and by having a warm place to sleep they were better prepared to keep their jobs. Over three years of operation the South Lake Tahoe Warm Room has served over 300 unduplicated individuals and provided 337 nights of shelter and 7370 shelter bed nights to the homeless in our community.