No, see, it’s not cold outside. Cold is like, “Did you see the way I looked at you when you told me at least 40 people slept outside last night because Evanston has no emergency plan to open temporary shelters on sub-zero temperature nights?” That was cold. Outside it is frigid. Arctic. Blood-stopping. We’re-still-using-Fahrenheit-but-we’re-considering-switching-to-Kelvin-for-the-weekend cold.

So why is it that some of our community members do not have the option to stay someplace warm when temperatures are this low? Hilda’s Place is the solitary shelter in Evanston for homeless individuals, but there are only so many beds, only so many places on the floor and only so many staff members to keep watch.

What did Evanston’s Department of Health and Human Services do this weekend as temperatures dropped? Nothing. They told me people can stay in government buildings during the day but offered no options for when the wind chill drops at night. Evanston’s emergency plan is only activated when the wind chill drops below -30 degrees. Chicago activates its plan at -20 degrees wind chill. Are Evanston homeless community members able to withstand -10 degrees of wind chill more than Chicago homeless?

Evanston DHHS should open an overnight warming center to give homeless individuals an option that can save their lives. It should be in an accessible location and could even be staffed by Red Cross volunteers. We, the housed community, should be asking how this community can ignore their homeless community members on nights when it is this, pardon the euphemism, cold.

– David Wengert

Weinberg ’05

Employee, Connections for the Homeless

The views expressed are his own