LARIMER COUNTY, Colo — As triple-digit temperatures grip Northern Colorado, people experiencing homelessness in Loveland say surviving the heat has become even more difficult after the city's temporary overnight shelter closed in April.
"It's super hot," said Daniel Edwards, who is experiencing homelessness and spends much of his day searching for shade and drinking water to stay cool.
"I just get burned," he added.
▶️ Denver7 Northern Colorado Reporter Peter Choi found that service providers are seeing more demand as people experiencing homelessness seek relief during heat wave
Denver7 met Edwards sitting in an empty parking lot, trying to avoid the heat.
He said the extreme heat has already taken a toll on his health.
"The other day I poured cold water on my head, and I put my body in shock," Edwards said. "I started throwing up quite a bit."
Edwards said life on the streets has become even harder since Loveland closed its temporary overnight shelter in April.
Loveland
Loveland Resource Center closes as city seeks long-term homelessness solutions
The closure is also putting added pressure on other organizations that serve people experiencing homelessness.
The Salvation Army said in a statement more people are coming inside this summer to cool down.
"This summer, The Salvation Army is seeing more people turn to our Loveland Center for relief from the heat," the statement said. "On a typical day, about a dozen people stop in to cool off, hydrate, grab a snack, wait for a bus – or simply to connect with a friendly face. In addition to providing a safe, welcoming space, we offer clothing, hygiene supplies, mail services, bus passes, and personal lockers."
Another service provider, House of Neighborly Service, said in an email to Denver7 that it's referring individuals to the Murphy Center in Fort Collins.
"Unfortunately, Loveland has chosen to go another way, and the result is that organizations like Homeward Alliance in Fort Collins and municipalities like Fort Collins have to pick up the slack," said David Rout, executive director of Homeward Alliance.
To help people escape the dangerous temperatures, the Murphy Center has expanded its daytime hours during extreme heat events.
"We declared an inclement weather day and then expanded day shelter hours and basically stayed open longer than we normally would have because of heat," Rout said.
But the center only provides relief during the day. Once it closes, many people are forced to return outside.
"It's nasty. It is really nasty because the concrete holds the heat so long," said Robert Gensman, who sleeps outdoors in Fort Collins.
For Edwards, the challenge goes beyond the weather.
"You try to reach out to people, and people just... I don't know, it's kind of hard," he said.
