Dr. Sue Hamby urged the Temple City Council to create a temporary lodging plan so no one in the community is left to face life-threatening cold on the streets. "Providing a warm shelter for all homeless during cold weather isn't an act of charity. It's an act of a Christian community," Hamby said during public comment.

Denny Howard, outreach coordinator at Hilltop Recovery Ministries, said the city has supported local warming centers in the past and described running a shelter at Impact Church "without a fire suppression system for several years." Howard asked whether the technical requirement to retrofit a building is more important than preventing people from dying outdoors.

Kaye Cathy, resource executive director at Impact Church Resource Center, said Impact has operated the warming center for five years and is willing to install a fire-sprinkler system but would need to raise the funds to do so. Cathy also asked the council to clarify rules for people who are "blue carded"—banned from returning to Salvation Army facilities after certain incidents—and said some people will not accept shelter if they must abandon a pet.

City staff did not take formal action on the shelter requests during the meeting. Separately, staff told the council they had received a facilities report and will present three options for the closed community center at a Dec. 18 workshop; staff estimated repairs at roughly $4,200,000 and described the building as currently unsafe for patrons.

No vote or direction to start a city-run emergency shelter was recorded at the meeting. Speakers asked the council to consider short-term lodging or partnerships with churches and nonprofit providers and to clarify eligibility rules for existing shelters.