Rep. Baker files bill in North Carolina House to fund cold weather shelters

A new bill filed by State Rep. Baker in the North Carolina House seeks to establish a grant program supporting temporary shelters for homeless individuals during severe weather, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 798 on April 7 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Expand Access to Cold Weather Shelters/Funds.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill allocates $1.72 million annually from the General Fund to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging, for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium to establish a Cold Weather Shelters Grant Program. The program aims to provide grants to municipalities and nonprofits to implement or expand temporary emergency shelters for the homeless during severe weather conditions. The Division of Aging, in coordination with the Division of Emergency Management, will create application materials and selection criteria, considering available funds and local poverty rates. No grant will exceed $215,000 per year, and up to 5% of funds can be used for administrative costs. An annual report detailing grant usage, recipients, and the program’s impact is required starting April 1, 2027. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Julia Greenfield proposed the most bills (16) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Baker graduated from Winston-Salem State University with a BS.

Baker, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 72nd House district, replacing previous state representative Derwin Montgomery.