Extreme Weather Dangerous for MN’s Unsheltered
Hot Weather Challenges for Unsheltered People
When Minnesotans think of extreme weather, we tend to envision our state’s bitter winters. While cold weather is certainly dangerous for those who don’t have reliable shelter, extreme weather also includes the heat waves that cover the Twin Cities each summer.
The risk of a heat-related death is two to three hundred times higher for people living unsheltered than for the population at large — and “as temperatures continue to rise across the U.S. and the world, cities like Seattle, Minneapolis, New York or Kansas City that don’t have the experience or infrastructure for dealing with heat have to adjust,” says David Hondula, the climate scientist who heads Phoenix, Arizona’s office for heat mitigation.
In Kare 11’s recent story, Mary Emby and her daughter, Ginger Emby-Bovee, are among those seeking shelter from the sweltering conditions at Catholic Charities Dorothy Day Place in St. Paul.
Catholic Charities Staff Feel the Heat
Program Manager Jen Kissling says that staff at our Dorothy Day Campus have witnessed how heat-related illness can sneak up on a person, similar to frostbite or hypothermia. “In the winter, there aren’t enough available resources that help people stay warm — during the summer, it’s the opposite: we need to pay special attention to providing resources that help people stay hydrated and cool,” says Jen.
At the St. Paul Opportunity Center, staff place extra coolers of water outside, distribute cold treats, and have volunteers place frozen bottles of water around the patio for people to take. Jen explains that they also perform frequent welfare checks on the patio, making sure that people aren’t sleeping outside at midday, when they might not realize they’re becoming dangerously hot.
When Temperatures Rise, People Go Inside
“When it’s really hot outside, our meal counts spike,” says Jen. The Dorothy Day Place cafeteria serves hot meals three times a day, 365 days a year — typically, about 250 guests join each meal. When temperatures rise, that number can be as high as 350, which presents challenges for the kitchen. Beyond struggling to find enough volunteers to help prepare and serve food, Jen explains, “It also means that you have more people in that room, and heat can cause more irritability. By the second or third day of a heat wave, people can get pretty crabby.”
Kitchen staff are working hard to wash and refill extra water coolers every night, and make sure everyone in need of a healthy meal is able to eat. Jen smiles, “we’d love to see some new volunteers the next time it’s looking like a scorcher.”
A Lack of Public Spaces
Another compounding factor is that public spaces don’t always welcome people who are experiencing homelessness. Spaces that many of us use to stay cool — like movie theatres, museums, and shopping malls — are out of reach for many of the people we serve. Libraries are usually an option, but if someone tries to cool off in a grocery store, corner shop, or downtown lobby, they might be asked to leave. The scarcity of welcoming spaces compounds risk when it’s hot outside, explains Jen: “If our guests want to go to a library or a cooling station, they most likely have to walk to that place, often carrying their belongings. That can be super exhausting, especially for older adults. So we need to keep a careful eye on folks to make sure they’re okay.”
