CLEVELAND — It's been a brutally cold week in Northeast Ohio, making life even more challenging than usual for the region's homeless population. To help those struggling, some shelters are making sure that every person without a home has a warm place to stay amidst single digit temperatures and below zero wind chills.
The City Mission in Cleveland houses about 260 people between their men's and women's shelters and have been at full capacity. Starting this past Friday, they opened their doors completely because of the frigid temperatures.
They call it their "Cold Weather Overflow" program, meaning they won't turn away anyone who needs a place to stay.
"It's dangerous outside," said City Mission Chief Operating Officer Michael Hahn. "If you're having to stay overnight on your own, if you're unsheltered, that's life-threatening, especially in Cleveland. Almost every other year somebody does pass away who's experiencing homelessness who's on the streets. So there really needs to be opportunity for shelter, for individuals to be in a safe area, to be able to warm up and get back on their feet during these dangerous times.”
Hahn shared that about 25 new people have joined them since the program started.
"When we offer winter overflow, no one's going to be turned away," he emphasized. "So, somebody who is unsheltered, somebody who's in a dangerous situation, we're going to ensure that they have a warm place to stay through this challenging weather."
The program is only temporary for these very cold temperatures, but Hahn explained that when things warm up, they don't just send their overflow residents out on the street, but work with partner organizations to get them somewhere safe to stay.
Down in Portage County, homeless advocates are also making adjustments.
The Haven of Portage County in Ravenna has gone from providing 16 hours a day of shelter to 24 hours a day, setting up extra cots in their facility to give those in need both warmth and hope.
"It's extremely important," said Haven of Portage County Executive Director Anne Marie Noble. "We have some folks that have mental illness that can't necessarily stay in a shelter, and so they're living under the bridges, and they'll freeze to death. There's no way I would have that on my watch."
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Ohio ranks 11th per capita in the U.S. for homelessness, with more than 10,654 people not having a home.
In Cuyahoga County, there are 1,574 experiencing homelessness on a given night, and in Summit County there are 441.
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- 'This is something we’re concerned about': Cuyahoga County shares plans to address homelessness