Code Blue Weather Emergency

A Code Blue Weather Emergency notice is issued when the temperature drops to 32°F degrees Fahrenheit or less between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m., including National Weather Service calculations for wind chill values. 

No one who is homeless and seeking shelter in New York City during a Code Blue will be denied. 

Code Blue Weather Emergencies include the following options for the homeless:

• Shelters

During a Code Blue, shelter is available system-wide to accommodate anyone who is reasonably believed to be homeless and is brought to a shelter by outreach teams. Accommodations are also available for walk-ins. Anyone who is experiencing homelessness can present at any NYC-DHS contract shelter and request accommodations. Click here to find a list of intake shelters that are open twenty-four hours, daily.

• Drop-in centers

All drop-in centers are open twenty-four hours per day when Code Blue procedures are in effect and will assist as many people as possible for the duration of the emergency. Drop-in staff can also make arrangements for homeless individuals at other citywide facilities.

• Warming Centers

Warming Centers are short-term emergency shelters that operate when temperatures or a combination of precipitation, wind chill, wind, and temperature become dangerously inclement-- mainly during Code Blue Weather Emergencies in New York City. Click here to find a Warming Center.

• Street Homeless Outreach Teams 

Teams will contact vulnerable individuals on their Code Blue Priority Lists to ensure safety and bring them to shelter. DHS coordinates Code Blue efforts directly with agencies such as DSNY, and the Parks Department, at a borough level.

• Hospitals

If a person experiencing homelessness presents at a hospital, the hospital will request an outreach team to be dispatched.  The hospital shall not refuse shelter until the outreach team arrives.

For more information about Code Blue, please visit the NYC Department of Homeless Services website.