Washington, DC is one of only three places in the country with a legal right to shelter in hypothermic weather. From November 1 through March 31, one phone number gets you a bed, a free ride and a welfare check for someone outside. Here's how the season works and what changes on the coldest nights. AT A GLANCE Season: November 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. Services can start earlier or run later if the weather calls for it. One number: The Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093,

If you're an adult on SNAP with no young kids at home, there's a clock running on your benefits. A 2025 federal law changed who that clock applies to, and many people in their late 50s and early 60s are now on it for the first time. Here's how the three-month limit works, who's excused, and how to keep your food money coming. AT A GLANCE The rule: adults subject to the time limit can get SNAP for only 3 months in a 3-year period unless they work or train 80 hours a month or q