Oxford’s only cold weather shelter will close for the year on Feb. 28. When its jurisdiction ends, occupants may be left wondering where to go next.
The Oxford Winter House, which provides shelter for homeless people during the cold winter months, opened its doors for the first time Dec. 1, 2025. John Richter, the senior pastor of the Oxford Vineyard Church and chair of the Oxford Winter House Steering Committee, said the house has 13 beds and has been at or near capacity since the winter storm that swept through Oxford in late-January. Richter said the shelter had to place people on a waiting list, but could not specify how many.
One guest at the Oxford Winter House, who will remain anonymous as requested by Richter for her privacy, said she doesn’t know where she’ll go after Feb. 28.
“I left everything I had; I lost my house, my cars and everything,” the guest said. “So that’s the obstacles, just trying to get the car and not knowing where to go the 28th.”
Oxford Area Solutions for Housing (OASH) and the local faith community established the Oxford Winter House, according to its official website. Richter said eight churches became involved, and the time frame of Dec. 1, 2025–Feb. 28 was proposed because it was similar to previous local shelters.
“We didn’t want to bite off more than we can chew,” Richter said. “Our goal was to save the lives of homeless people due to inclement weather.”
Staff members at the Oxford Winter House do more than provide food and warmth. Another guest at the house, who will remain anonymous for her privacy, said they helped her apply to schools to become a peer support specialist.
“Since they were helping me, I thought I could carry on and maybe help someone else down the road,” another guest said.
The purpose of the house is to provide shelter to homeless individuals who would otherwise not survive severe winter weather, according to the Oxford Winter House website.
“If you look at the City of Oxford, [the homeless population] is honestly quite small — probably under 10, honestly, based on our police public safety reports,” Oxford Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene said.
However, according to the Point-in-Time (PIT) count conducted by OASH in 2025, the Oxford homeless population was 46. In comparison, the Butler County homeless population was 485 in 2025, according to the PIT count.
Anne Williamson, associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Miami University, has a doctorate in public administration and policy with a career focus on housing policy.
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Williamson said it’s common for cold weather shelters to end their jurisdictions after February because they believe that is sufficient.
“I’m concerned,” Williamson said. “I know that it’s warming up, but we don’t know that it’s going to be warm enough for people to sleep outside.”
The Oxford Winter House is located at 5223 College Corner Pike. Richter said the shelter could be relocated to a different building next year.
“The Oxford community has really rallied,” Richter said. “From my vantage point, it’s been a great success.”
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