Those in Gainesville's homeless population are bracing as frigid overnight lows are expected in the region overnight on Friday and Saturday.
AccessWDUN meteorologist John Wetherbee said temperatures could reach the low 20s over the weekend, with an even lower wind chill due to high wind speeds.
Ken Gossage, director of Good News at Noon, a homeless ministry in Gainesville, said options for overnight shelters are limited following the closure of The Way and Set Free last year.
"We do have space that we've allocated over in the Set Free building, we're renting that now," Gossage said. "We can take some people in, but, I mean it's very limited, to be honest with you ... if every homeless person in Gainesville wanted to get inside that night, there's no way we could come even close to housing them all."
The Set Free building is located near the intersection of Pearl Nix Parkway and Dorsey Street.
Gossage said Good News at Noon does provide coats, hats, gloves, blankets and sleeping bags to those in need. However, he said he was unsure whether the sleeping bags would be warm enough for 20-degree weather.
"Some of those sleeping bags are rated to 40 degrees, but I'm not sure how effective they are if the temperatures drop down in the 20s," Gossage said.
Winter weather donations can be delivered to Good News at Noon at 979 Davis St in Gainesville.
Gossage said he believes the homeless population in Gainesville is more significant than people realize. Good News at Noon sees about 1,000 homeless individuals each year.
