Under DC's Homeless Services Reform Act, when temperatures drop below 32 degrees the city activates Hypothermia Alert and must provide shelter to any resident who requests it, with no eligibility prescreening.
DC Code 4-754.01 establishes a right to shelter during Hypothermia Alert (forecast or actual temperature including wind chill at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and Heat Emergency (heat index at or above 95 degrees). The Department of Human Services activates additional warming sites, low-barrier beds, and expanded transportation, and DHS must place anyone seeking shelter regardless of intake status. Pathways to Housing DC and similar housing-first providers also operate bridge-housing pipelines connecting shelter contacts to permanent supportive housing. Hypothermia season runs November 1 through March 31, with daily activation decisions posted on the DHS website.
Turning away residents during alerts, denying transport, or imposing prescreening barriers violates the HSRA and exposes the District and contracted providers to court-ordered compliance.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washington, DC
Washington DC does not regulate lawn ornaments on private property through a specific ordinance. Statuary, religious displays, and decorative landscape eleme...
Washington, DC
Washington DC has no city ordinance specifically regulating inflatable holiday displays on private property. The primary city concerns are (1) public-space e...
Washington, DC
The District of Columbia does not impose specific install-by or take-down-by dates for holiday lights on private property. City-wide regulation is limited to...
Washington, DC
Washington DC requires Department of Buildings (DOB) permits for built-in outdoor kitchens that involve gas line installation, electrical work, plumbing, or ...
Washington, DC
Washington DC has no smoker-specific ordinance, but smokers and wood-fired ovens are open-flame cooking devices subject to IFC Section 308.1.4 in multi-famil...
Washington, DC
Washington DC adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) as the DC Fire Code (12-G DCMR). IFC Section 308.1.4 prohibits charcoal and other open-flame cooking d...
See how Washington's bridge housing siting rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.