Homeless out on the streets for Christmas because it is not less than 20 degrees outside? It worries me this time of year that is stressful for people in the best of living conditions.
THE OFFICIAL WORD
I checked to get the official word – but it wasn’t there. This morning the website that is supposed to tell you if it is a cold weather night had last weeks information:
Cold weather nights are predicted to take place on Tuesday (12/16), Wednesday (12/17), and Thursday (12/18) this week.
On nights of extreme weather or cold (i.e. 20°F or colder), all individuals in need of shelter are invited to stay in one of the Madison’s area shelters.
I’m not sure what weather station or news source they use to determine if it is 20 degrees outside and in the past these determinations were made around 8:00 at night with little time to get the word out – which sometimes was done via text and facebook.
BUT NOT EVERYONE CAN GET IN
Alcohol and behavior
And of course, the second statement from the website isn’t entirely true – there are some people who can’t stay at the shelter for various reasons – conditions of probation, parole or bail typically. Also, most people are conditioned to believe if they are drunk they can’t get in, so when they are drunk, they think they can’t get in and so that is a dangerous combination. And finally, there is a somewhat arbitrary “behavior” policy at the shelters and answers to various questions vary by staff member – there is a real lack of consistency.
This is Porchlight’s explanation of their rules for single men – the vast majority of the people you see sleeping on the streets:
There is a 60 night limit for Drop-In Shelter use per person, per year. An extreme weather exemption will go into effect for nights that are 20 degrees or less, with wind chill or for other extreme weather conditions such as thunderstorms.
For the safety of our staff and shelter guests, anyone who is clearly under the influence of alcohol or other drugs will not be allowed into the shelter; exceptions are made during extreme weather conditions mentioned above.
All guests are expected to abide by the Drop-In Shelter House Rules. These rules are posted in the shelter and are available in print form at request. Failure to abide by the rules can be the basis for denial of shelter use on a temporary or permanent basis.
Women’s rules are below.
By the way, the whole “you have to request the rules” thing is annoying and I haven’t been able to get them to give me the rules posted in shelter.
Out of Days
For women, its a little more complicated. Men’s days all reset on November 1st, so they couldn’t have spent 60 days in shelter quite yet, and I believe they don’t count cold weather nights because most men have days until March. For women, their rules are different and the reset date might be April or September or June and varies by individual, so there are women who are out of days and if it isn’t less than 20 degrees have no where to go.
The facility may accommodate up to 30 women per night. Cold weather exceptions apply (please see below). An individual’s stay is limited to 30 nights, but extensions up to 60 nights may be granted to women working with a case manager to secure housing. In addition to shelter and case management, women are provided meals, shower/laundry facilities and skill-building workshops.
Women in need may arrive at The Salvation Army at 5:00 pm. If need exceeds capacity, a lottery system will be activated. All women will be issued a ticket with a number; and corresponding numbered tickets will be drawn from a hat. Ladies whose number is chosen will be guaranteed a bed for the evening.
On nights of extreme weather conditions or cold (i.e. 20 degrees or colder), all single women in need are welcome to use shelter despite usual capacity or shelter night limits. Space may be crowded, but The Salvation Army of Dane County will not deny shelter to any single woman in need. Please note: Behavioral issues and rule violations may result in suspension of shelter access even on “cold weather” nights.
NOT COLD ENOUGH?
If I look at Channel3000.com it looks like for Christmas Eve and Christmas night its not less than 20 degrees and people will be out on the streets. Today’s low is only 32 degrees. Christmas Eve the low is only 23 degrees and Christmas Day the low is only 27 degrees. So, while it is not life threatening to be outside for more than 30 minutes, its still life threatening.
WET + COLD = HYPOTHERMIA
The rain is what has me most concerned. This report does a good job of explaining the issues.
Seven hundred people experiencing or atrisk of homelessness are killed from hypothermia annually in the United States. Forty-four percent of the nation’s homelessare unsheltered. From the urban streets of our populatedcities to the remote back-countryof rural America, hypothermia – or subnormal temperature in the body – remains aleading, critical and preventable cause ofinjury and death among those experiencinghomelessness.
This is my biggest concern:
According to Dr. James J. O’Connell from the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), the most dangerous cases of hypothermia do not occur when the ambient [surrounding] temperature is far below freezing. Instead, Dr. O’Connell says, the worst cases they see arise when the days are warm (between 40F and 50F) and the nighttime temperature drops to the mid-30s.
Life-threatening cases of hypothermia often occur when the ambient temperature is between 32F and 40F. For example, the most drastic case ever seen at the BHCHP, in which a homeless man was brought in with a body temperature of 57F, occurred when the temperature was greater than 50F during the day and fell to 36F at night.
And the rain doesn’t help.
Hypothermia does not occur only when the ambient temperature becomes very cold. Other aspects of the weather, such as wind and precipitation, lower the perceived temperature and cause the body to lose heat more quickly. Wet clothing causes a 20-fold increase in heat loss, and submersion in cold water causes heat to be lost 32 times faster (O’Connell 2004).
Their recommendations include:
Temperature cut-offs should be avoided, since the effectiveness of a shelter is decreased when the population it serves does not know, from night to night, whether the shelter will be open. If a temperature cut-off is necessary, due to financial or other reasons, the cut-off should be at least 40F in order to prevent the most dangerous cases of hypothermia, according to Dr. O’Connell.
There are more recommendations in the report.
WHAT ABOUT DAY SERVICES
Massive fail again! Bethel and the library are closed. We thought we were going to be able to have volunteers at the Capital, but reserving a room became an issue. So 2 of the 3 downtown locations are closed. If men’s shelters have an average 160 – 180 men per night in their shelters, that’s a lot of people in the rotunda and I don’t think the capital police are going to be too hospitable to that while everyone is coming to look at the holiday tree. Of course, Hospitality House is open, but you can’t get there. This is the van schedule which is nearly impossible to predict and most people don’t have bus passes, but even if they did, the schedule is so limited and hard to figure out. (More info)
More info about winter services and closures for persons without homes here.
I always learn something from reading this blog – it’s necessary to examine the actual effects of policies, no matter how appropriate they appear on paper.