With temperatures forecasted to drop into negative numbers this weekend, officials in Augusta and Waterville have plans in place to help homeless people both day and night.

“We’re not turning anybody away during these dangerous temperatures. We’re going to work creatively with everybody to make sure they have a place to go inside,” said Katie Spencer White, president and CEO of Waterville’s Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter & Services.

The shelter has 55 year-round shelter beds as well as 25 more winter warming center beds, with those 25 beds funded to provide overnight, not 24-hour services. So normally, staff members encourage guests in the winter warming bed spots to find somewhere else to go during the day. But with such cold temperatures expected, they plan to find space this weekend for guests to remain inside during the day.

The Colby Street facility was built for 48 beds, so space is tight.

At the Augusta Emergency Overnight Warming Center, where Director Julia Stone said they’ve hit or exceeded their 50-bed capacity every night since about a week and a half ago, people left without a bed have been sitting on a bench inside to stay warm for the night.

Stone said the center has had up to 61 people a night come in for shelter this week, and they’re prepared to continue exceeding their bed capacity to help make sure no one has to remain outside if they don’t want to.

If the shelter ever gets so far over its capacity that there are too many guests for staff to manage safely, the “emergency Plan B” is that additional guests would go to the Augusta Police Department lobby.

Augusta City Manager Jared Mills confirmed the police station’s lobby could be available overnight if there is an overflow at the overnight winter warming center.

Mills said city officials started discussing what to do about the looming cold weather with local service providers Tuesday. They considered a proposal to open the Augusta Civic Center as a daytime warming center, but rejected that option. Mills said the Civic Center could be opened as a backup if a power outage or other circumstance requires the city to open it.

The Augusta Emergency Overnight Warming Center, located in the South Parish Congregational Church, closes during the day and will continue to do so during the upcoming cold weekend.

However, its guests and others in need of a warm place during the day have the United Community Living Center, a daytime services center at 12 Spruce St. in Augusta.

That center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Augusta Emergency Overnight Warming Center is open seven nights a week, from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Betty St. Hilaire, executive director of United Community Living Center, said she was coordinating with the overnight warming center on a plan to transport people between the two facilities. Organizers were also looking to extend their hours to close gaps between when one opens and the other closes.

“It’s going to be so cold, we don’t want people outside for an hour,” St. Hilaire said.

St. Hilaire said extra volunteers are coming in this week in anticipation of more guests. She said they average 50 people on Saturdays and have had as many as 71 for a Sunday lunch.

White said Waterville city officials also checked in with Mid-Maine in Waterville to make sure they’re able to take people in who have no other place to go to escape the dangerously cold conditions. She said they’re happy to work with their community partners, including the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen, known locally as the Lighthouse.

But funds are limited, she said, and the needs are great.

Municipal officials, White said, are looking to community-based organizations like the one she runs.

“We want to be there for people, but we have the same financial constraints as any business. The Lighthouse offers a wonderful daytime program, serving a tremendous number of people, filling bellies and taking care of souls during the day. In places like Waterville, it’s a real collaboration.”

Augusta also has Bread of Life Ministries, which runs a 54-bed shelter on Hospital Street It includes a 14-bed veterans’ shelter, 24-bed family shelter, and a singles shelter with eight beds each for men and woman. It also runs a soup kitchen on Water Street, which remains open during the day during extreme weather, but is not open on weekends.

Victoria Abbott, executive director, said Thursday the emergency family shelter had space for singles and families. Potential guests can start the pre-intake process to secure one of those spots by calling 207-626-3434. The veterans shelter has space available as well.

Abbott said once pre-intake is completed, a background check is required, but they typically can get someone into the shelter in a couple hours.

Abbott said the ministries’ previous policy of requiring guests to leave during the day has been discontinued, and now families, singles and veterans can stay at the shelter all day.

Temperatures are expected to warm slightly Monday and Tuesday but only to single-digit lows, before again going subzero later next week, bringing life-threatening conditions to those living outside and challenging service providers.

“We will continue to do what we’ve always done and that’s keep people alive and warm inside,” Stone said. “We have to adjust to accommodate during emergency weather as best we can. I believe no one in Augusta wants to see anyone out in this dangerous weather.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify the number and use of beds at Waterville’s Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter.