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Daily Chronicle

Warming centers open in DeKalb County

Free indoor shelter offered in cold weather months

Baraa Saad, 17, from DeKalb, walks across a bridge Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, near the Lagoon at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Several inches of heavy, wet snow Tuesday was a headache for some and fun for others.

Baraa Saad, 17, from DeKalb, walks across a bridge Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, near the Lagoon at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Several inches of heavy, wet snow Tuesday was a headache for some and fun for others. (Mark Busch)

By Kelsey Rettke

DeKalb County has warming centers throughout DeKalb, Sycamore and Genoa free to use and open to all looking for shelter during the cold season and winter weather.

Those in need are asked to call the facility before traveling out into the cold to ensure availability.

DeKalb

  • Hope Haven, 1145 Rushmoore Drive. Call 815-787-4567. Open 24 hours daily.
  • DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St. Call 815-756-956. Weekly hours are from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
  • Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb, 158 N. Fourth St. Call 815-217-8235. Hours are from 5:30 p.m. to 8:15 a.m. Sunday through Saturday. This location doesn’t open until Jan. 3, 2026, and will close March 15.
  • DeKalb Salvation Army Community Center, 830 Grove St. Call 815-756-4308. Weekly hours are from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday and from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday. Closed Friday through Sunday.
  • Christ Community Church, 2350 Pride Ave. Call 815-787-6161. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Closed Friday through Sunday. Only open when temperatures are 20 degrees or lower.

Under city of DeKalb Municipal Code, landlords must provide heat to residential buildings to maintain a room temperature of at least 68 degrees between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., and at least 62 degrees at other times.

To request a well-being check for someone who may be suffering from extreme weather, call 815-748-8400.

To report inadequate heat in a residential building, call 815-748-2070 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. After hours, call 815-739-0745.

Sycamore

  • Sycamore Police Department, 535 DeKalb Ave., open 24 hours every day.
  • Sycamore Public Library, 103 E. State St., open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Genoa

  • Genoa Police Department, 333 E. First St. To contact the nonemergency police department for issues such as main breaks, call 815-784-6633. For emergencies, dial 911.
DeKalb CountyLocal NewsDeKalbSycamoreGenoa
Kelsey Rettke

Kelsey Rettke

Kelsey Rettke is the editor of the Daily Chronicle and co-editor of the Kane County Chronicle, part of Shaw Local News Network.