Above: Juneau’s emergency warming shelter. (Photo credit Jasz Garrett)
By Jasz Garrett
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – Juneau’s homeless crowded against warehouse walls, waited in long lines to use porta-potties, and held their dogs close to stay warm during the city’s “snowpocalypse.”
That’s how St. Vincent de Paul’s executive director Dave Ringle described January’s snow. Just three winter storms totaled 77 inches, breaking the 2009 monthly record by 1.6 inches, according to National Weather Service Juneau.
The cold weather emergency shelter is a warehouse in the Thane neighborhood, south of downtown Juneau and outside of the Thane avalanche zone. The shelter’s neighbors, Alaska Coach Tours, helped shovel and plow during the storms, which allowed shuttle buses to transport shelter residents through the heavy snow, Ringle said.
The shelter is designed for 40 people a night, but in January, it hit 64. Ringle noticed a 10-person per night jump at the start of the month, and 248 unique individuals came through the shelter as of Jan. 26. The number was 163 in December.
“One of the reasons I think that numbers go so high on the really difficult weather days is there are people who would do everything they could to stay away from other people and to keep by themselves until it becomes a really dangerous situation,” Ringle said. “And then where does this person with nowhere to go, go when the forecast says the weather’s terrible outside, please stay home?”
The shelter is open from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., but hours were extended through the day during sub-zero temperatures and over the holidays.
“It was below zero windchill factors and we stayed open to protect life. Staff was already staying open with windchills downtown below zero. It’s life-threatening. They didn’t mind doing it,” Ringle said. “Then we got the snow.”
The increased numbers stressed staff coverage, the amount of food and transportation needed, and created a safety risk with no clear fire exit some nights. The crowded, confined space can also breed illness. Staff and visitors were getting sick, requiring extra shifts. Front Street Clinic has been providing health services to shelter clients, Ringle said.
A homeless man, who asked to remain anonymous, has been staying at the shelter since it opened on Oct. 20. It’s his first time being homeless after being released from prison in October. He said he noticed the increased numbers in January, but he didn’t feel crowded.
“Everything’s the same. Everything’s okay. Everybody has a good place to sleep. Everybody’s warm. They take care of us. Very good over here,” he said. “There’s no place better to be homeless than Juneau.”
“I would just like people to know that there’s help out there,” he added. “All you have to do is ask.”
During the day when the shelter’s not open, he walks around downtown and into different businesses to stay warm.
Vivian started coming to the shelter during the January storms. She has been homeless since her parents died a few years ago. She spent her 56th birthday at the warming shelter.
“The staff here is really nice. I get bed, breakfast, and snacks. At the Glory Hall I get fed three times a day,” she said. “They give me a cot and a blanket. I’m grateful for that. And thank God that there’s somewhere safe. I feel safe here. The most people do here is yell.”
Vivian added that the abundance of snow hasn’t made it difficult to get to the shelter thanks to the Glory Hall or shelter staff shuttles. The Glory Hall brings people in need from the Mendenhall Valley, arriving at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., shelter staff make downtown rounds using a Capital AKCESS van.
For Christmas and New Year’s, Ringle said the gift for many was having a place to sleep for the day. Shelter manager Jackie Bryant added that the shelter provided hot breakfast cooked on a griddle. The Juneau community also delivered boxes upon boxes of pizza, enough for all the residents to enjoy leftovers the following day.
Juneau has shown up in other ways: The shelter has received plentiful donations of blankets and socks, but could always use more, Bryant said. The Juneau Chapter of the Alaska Firefighters Association donated 100 reflective bands and 60 flashing LED lights to distribute to people walking to and from the warming shelter. The current request includes snack foods, fresh fruit, and hand and foot warmers. Donations can be dropped off at the shelter after 8:30 p.m. at 1325 Eastaugh Way or St. Vincent de Paul’s offices at 8617 Teal Street during business hours.

Steve Sztuk said he returned to Juneau to take care of his mom during an illness. He previously lived in Anchorage.
“I did it because my mom took care of me my whole childhood. I love my mom and dad,” he said. “Now, I just have what I had in my pocket. The house was sold. So, I just sit here in the dust.”
During a recent visit to the shelter, he shared adventures of flying from Juneau to Ketchikan with his father. His parents were lieutenant colonels in the Civil Air Patrol.
His father was a World War II veteran who worked for Alaska Electric Light & Power for 42 years. His mother, Jean Sztuk, played a large part in the Juneau Festival Association. Both of his parents received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce in 2018.
Sztuk said he’s had a housing voucher for a year, but there’s nowhere to use it. He said it feels like he’s stuck in a loop.
Point in Time Survey
The annual Point in Time (PIT) count of Juneau homeless residents was conducted on Jan. 30, led by United Way and Glory Hall staff. The count focused on where people stayed the night of Jan. 29. St. Vincent’s counted those staying at the shelter. The Glory Hall along with the Juneau Police Department identified camps where other homeless were staying. People were counted at Resurrection Lutheran Church, Front Street Clinic, The Glory Hall, and Zach Gordon Youth Center.
The Polaris House assembled 125 backpacks with appropriate toiletries, clothing, and gift cards to thank the homeless for providing data. The 2024 PIT homeless numbers haven’t been officially released yet, but last year, Juneau counted 220 people. Juneau is Alaska’s most homeless city on a per-capita basis, with 1.5 times the rate of Anchorage and three times that of Fairbanks, according to social services agencies.
Moving forward, Ringle said, in a perfect world, there wouldn’t be a need for the warming shelter. They are discovering the challenges of the warehouse space such as no plumbing, no windows, and no extra doors for security purposes.
Ringle said he’d like to see Juneau offer more affordable housing options so the numbers can go down.
“I’d love to see more buildings, taking these people and getting them to a place where they can remake and rebuild their lives. It’s very easy to break down, make mistakes and ruin something,” he said. “It’s a lot harder to repair buildings that are broken. It’s even harder to repair lives that are broken. But that’s some of what has to happen within our shelter system so that we can have a more functional society.”