Portsmouth and the Seacoast Area have people who are homeless and living outside. Winter in Portsmouth is cold.  Let's help people who are homeless get a break from cold and stormy weather by providing them with a 24 hour winter warming center in Portsmouth. 

Imagine if it were you, being out in cold weather, day after day, with no way to warm your body but to keep moving or to try and find enough blankets and maybe a tent to try to sleep. This wears down a person's body and soul!

Provide a 24 hour warming center all winter long and show that you care about those less fortunate as being as much deserving of a warm place to lay their heads as anyone! 

Petition Letter is as follows:

To The City Manager, Mayor of the City of Portsmouth, the City Council, and Portsmouth Fire Chief.
Help Keep People who are Homeless and living outside in the winter, warm with a 24 hour winter Warming Center!
The city should provide a warming center for people who are homeless and living outside in winter time. This warming center should be open all winter long, 24 hours a day. Protect people who are homeless from hypothermia, frostbite, and possibly death, which can happen even above 32 degrees F.

Sincerely,
Donna Westbrook

Bedford Way

Portsmouth NH

A second proposal sent on Sept 30, 2026

Message
Dear City Manager and Members of the Portsmouth City Council,
I am writing to propose a practical, cost-effective solution to bridge the critical overnight gap in our city's winter emergency shelter capabilities. While the Portsmouth Public Library serves as an invaluable daytime refuge, our community lacks a continuous, 24-hour municipal warming option during dangerous sub-freezing nights.
To address this without the delays of real estate acquisition or stationary zoning, I ask the city to consider a Mobile Overnight Warming Vehicle pilot program for the upcoming winter months.
Specifically, the city could repurpose a surplus or retired municipal transit bus or public works vans to serve as a stationary overnight heating station.
Why this approach works for Portsmouth:
Low Upfront Capital: By utilizing existing, retired fleet vehicles, the city avoids expensive real estate costs.
Controlled Environment: The vehicle would not drive around; it would park in a single, designated city-owned lot overnight, making logistics predictable for emergency services and users alike.
Code-Compliant Flexibility: While subject to rigorous Department of Transportation safety inspections and equipped with proper emergency egress, a mobile unit circumvents the complex building code hurdles of setting up a permanent new shelter space.
Collaborative Potential: The city can provide the vehicle asset, while partnering with experienced local non-profits or outreach teams to handle staffing, safety monitoring, and basic overnight operations.
Over 300 peopke have already signed a petition calling for 24-hour municipal winter warmth. A mobile warming bus is a flexible, compassionate, and highly manageable way for our city to protect its most vulnerable residents when the temperature drops.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss with city staff together to explore this pilot program. Thank you for your time and continued service to Portsmouth.
Sincerely,
Donna Westbrook
40 Bedford Way
Portsmouth NH
603-957-90