State office buildings are open – during the business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday – for those who need a place to be warm.
“We’re urging residents to take advantage of the state’s warming centers, which are throughout the state,” says Department of Human Services spokesman Tom Green. “These are state buildings which are going to be open anyway.” That way, Green says, there’s no cost.
Green says the people who need this service include those who have drafty dwellings or faulty furnaces, as well as Illinois’ homeless.
The buildings will also serve as cooling centers in the summer.
The City of Springfield also offers warming centers. Municipal Center West and the Lincoln Library can be used during regular business hours, and Municipal Center East can be used 24 hours a day.