# How do homeless people live in very cold areas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 2009, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591 "2009-10-21T10:50:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/1 "2009-10-21T10:50:09Z")
Here in NC homeless shelters only let most people spend the night, during the day they are on their own. It seems to me that in places like Buffalo or Minneapolis that would be very hard on homeless people since it’s very cold all day in the winter. (I know not all homeless go to shelters even at night) Are there many homeless in very cold areas and how do they get by in the winter? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/2 "2009-10-21T12:47:55Z")
they get cold. during the day they hang out in any place they can get into like libraries. they keep walking to keep warm. vacant and abandoned buildings give shelter often causing much damage, abandoned cars give shelter. newspapers are insulation. they get arrested and spend time being processed and penalized. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/3 "2009-10-21T13:31:39Z")
Calgary here. We have shelters for the night, though there are often emergencies on very cold days and they have other facilities that they can open up if they need to. During the day, they usually try to hang out in the library or in a doorway that is warm. Some take the C-train (light rail transit) back and forth through the downtown corridor - it’s free in this area. Some get together enough money for a cup of coffee and sit in McDonalds, or enough to get on a bus and ride it around for a while. Also, most are dressed for the weather. There are places for them to get warm clothes and most homeless I see in the winter are usually bundled up. There are many working homeless too, so I guess they are probably warm at work during the day. However, we also have a few deaths during the winter too, from exposure. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/4 "2009-10-21T13:32:57Z")
Sometimes, they die of exposure. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/5 "2009-10-21T13:36:12Z")
(Add on question) **Why** do homeless people live in very cold areas? ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/6 "2009-10-21T13:37:23Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > (Add on question) > > **Why** do homeless people live in very cold areas? How are they going to get anywhere else? They don’t have money, and would YOU pick up a dirty, smelly hitch hiker? ---
**Author:** ![pan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pan1)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/7 "2009-10-21T13:42:01Z")
How do homeless deal with elements: Layered Clothes Avoid the wind. Use Alleys, bridges, etc. Finding the warmer places in cities - like sidewalk vents that give off heat. Subway tunnels. Public buildings - libraries were mentioned. Ordering a cup of cheap coffee at McDonalds will give you an hour or two of somewhere “nice”. Homeless \<\> penniless. $5 goes a long way when you don’t have to pay rent. Panhandlers can make hundreds a day, but most people still have shame and won’t beg for more than they need. No matter how desperate you are, asking for hand-outs is embarassing. And if you’re really lucky - There is limited space in gov’t or church run shelters. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/8 "2009-10-21T13:52:41Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > newspapers are insulation. I work near a women’s shelter. There’s one woman who, in the Winter, snags stacks of _The Seattle Weekly_ or other free papers, crumples them up, and stuffs her clothes with them. (Year-round, she also uses the papers to keep her bags clean. She puts paper on the pavement first, then moves her bags to the new location. Good idea, since gobbing on the sidewalk seems to be a popular pastime on that street.) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/9 "2009-10-21T13:55:06Z")
They could save up and buy a bus ticket to a warmer area but I doubt many do that. They likely need every dollar they can get just to eat. And then in the warmer area they would have to learn how to live there. I know libraries are not happy about them showing up but legally I don’t think they can be forced out unless they are drunk or high. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/10 "2009-10-21T14:02:04Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > How are they going to get anywhere else? They don’t have money, and would YOU pick up a dirty, smelly hitch hiker? A lot of homeless people are surprisingly mobile. Here at the library we’ll see them around for a while and then they’ll move on to Charleston or Atlanta, and then a few months later they’ll come back. I mean, it’s not like all of the homeless people in San Francisco originated there - they obviously moved there. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/11 "2009-10-21T14:21:39Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I know libraries are not happy about them showing up but legally I don’t think they can be forced out unless they are drunk or high. or panhandling or stinky or sleeping or using the rest rooms to full body wash. in many places it has gotten disruptive enough to people using the libraries for the books that the codes of conduct have become more specific. they then can be kicked out by the staff and face arrest if they return and persist. school kids come in numbers after school and can find no chair or table space left available. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/12 "2009-10-21T14:28:01Z")
In some cities such as Philadelphia, there is a “Code Blue” plan that goes into effect when it gets very cold – police, social workers and volunteers make extra efforts to get as many homeless people into shelters as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/13 "2009-10-21T14:52:58Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > In some cities such as Philadelphia, there is a “Code Blue” plan that goes into effect when it gets very cold – police, social workers and volunteers make extra efforts to get as many homeless people into shelters as possible. We have similar initiatives here in the Toronto area, though there are also volunteer organizations who will go around to the city’s homeless and distribute winter coats and/or sleeping bags to help them get by. But we also get our share of homeless who die of exposure during particularly cold snaps. But yeah, it’s pretty much all about keeping mobile, finding sheltered areas, spending some time warming up in public places where and whenever possible, and bundling up in layers to conserve body heat. What other choice do they have? ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/14 "2009-10-21T14:53:58Z")
One, effective but less salubrious, way of making it through a cold night is to get tanked up on alcohol. Unfortunately it can make you not notice the cold so effectively that you die of exposure. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/15 "2009-10-21T14:58:56Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > or panhandling or stinky or sleeping or using the rest rooms to full body wash. in many places it has gotten disruptive enough to people using the libraries for the books that the codes of conduct have become more specific. they then can be kicked out by the staff and face arrest if they return and persist. school kids come in numbers after school and can find no chair or table space left available. I’m sure it’s not nearly as disruptive as, I dunno…BEING HOMELESS. What do you suggest they do if they can’t get into a shelter? ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/16 "2009-10-21T15:06:32Z")
> [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](#): > > One, effective but less salubrious, way of making it through a cold night is to get tanked up on alcohol. Unfortunately it can make you not notice the cold so effectively that you die of exposure. Actually, it’s worse; it isn’t that it makes you forget about the cold, it actually lowers your body temperature. The reason it makes you feel warm is because it increases blood flow to the skin, which has the net effect of causing your body to radiate heat faster, effectively exposing you to the elements sooner. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/17 "2009-10-21T15:17:19Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > I’m sure it’s not nearly as disruptive as, I dunno…BEING HOMELESS. What do you suggest they do if they can’t get into a shelter? Yesterday a homeless man urinated in our water fountain. Ten feet from the bathroom! But we shouldn’t get upset because his life is very hard, right? The shelters close at 7 - there’s nowhere else for them to be during the day except, pretty much, the public library. One thing they’re trying to implement in this new “transition center” they’re trying to build is daytime stuff, although it’s obviously quite expensive in terms of staffing. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/18 "2009-10-21T15:31:43Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Yesterday a homeless man urinated in our water fountain. Ten feet from the bathroom! But we shouldn’t get upset because his life is very hard, right? > > The shelters close at 7 - there’s nowhere else for them to be during the day except, pretty much, the public library. One thing they’re trying to implement in this new “transition center” they’re trying to build is daytime stuff, although it’s obviously quite expensive in terms of staffing. I’m not saying you shouldn’t get upset when a crazy person pees in your water fountain, but normal people don’t do that. He is to be pitied and we need “transition centers” and other support systems so fountain urination is kept to a minimum. I agree…it’s expensive. We all need to accept the fact that fixing problems usually costs money. I’m glad your community is working on a solution. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/19 "2009-10-21T15:36:38Z")
According to Scratch Beginnings, about a guy who decided to spend a year “homeless” (he actually saved enough to move into a place after a few months), starting with the clothes on his back and $25, there are a lot of resources available to the homeless such as vouchers for thrift stores, free coats, etc. which can’t hurt. Rob ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591/20 "2009-10-21T15:53:26Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > They could save up and buy a bus ticket to a warmer area but I doubt many do that. They likely need every dollar they can get just to eat. And then in the warmer area they would have to learn how to live there. [Some cities are happy to provide one-way tickets out of town to the homeless](http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/mayor-defends-one-way-tickets-for-homeless/?apage=2). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-homeless-people-live-in-very-cold-areas/514591.md?page=2)