What happens to the homeless in cold cities?

[SandyLuvsToTravel]

Here in San Diego, while we don't get blizzard/sub-zero temps, there are quite a few nights during winter months 35-40 degrees.

There are literally countless homeless here and the shelters are full even during warm weather. During those colder spells they open temporary "seasonal" shelters, that close when it warms up. Quite a few homeless sleep under freeway ramps/overpasses during cold nights, because of heat generated by the fast moving traffic.... sadly, it accounts for a lot of them being struck by vehicles

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by Mezter

They aren't wild animals, so how are they suppose to adapt without a home?

And yet, they do adapt, however pitifully.

Look at Madonna's brother, he's got frostbitten several times... But he won't stop drinking, won't help himself. You can't help someone who won't help themselves.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Normally during a winter, between 5 and 10 people in Chicago will die as a direct result of the cold weather - although most of them are in (for whatever reason) unheated or underheated homes.

There are normally reports of 1-3 homeless people in the city that freeze to death each winter.

And in 1995 Chicago 750 people who were mostly not homeless died from the heat over a period of 5 days.

[Drewcifer]

I once saw an interview of a homeless man in Minneapolis, he said he was good down to about -20, colder than that and he looked for a shelter. People lived in this climate as stone age hunter/gatherers so obviously it can be done, it is just a matter of knowing how.