GREENSBORO, N.C. — If you're outside for any amount of time Wednesday you're going to want to bundle up. Yet no matter how much you layer, spending time in temperatures as cold as 19 degrees is dangerous.
The pallet homes program keeps people experiencing homelessness safe from unbearable temperatures.
The City of Greensboro and the Interactive Resource Center opened the program again this year. It's been in use for about two weeks. The homes offer a warm place for people experiencing homelessness to lay their heads.
In addition to shelters and the IRC, it's another avenue offered to keep people safe during colder months.
"We're currently at 75% occupancy, which is great. We'll have everybody moved in by the end of next week if all goes well. So, we've got about 42 people here and are able to stay warm every night," said IRC director, Kristina Singleton.
The frigid air is also a problem for homeowners. When temperatures drop below 25 degrees, heating and air crews know they're going to be slammed.
Williams Plumbing Heating & Air says below-freezing temperatures will reveal problems if there is one.
"If it's a normal day here, it's 55 [degrees] and it gets down to 40 [degrees] at night. You can have a problem with your heat and not notice it just because the heat's not coming on, nor is it running long enough to show the failure. When it gets down below 20 degrees, it cuts on; it is running the whole time. If there is an issue, it's going to pop up," said Williams PHA owner, Ken Strickland.
To keep from having to spend money on repairs, Strickland reminds people to unhook hoses, close crawl space vents, and let the faucet drip to maintain the flow of water.