We need more warming centers in Chicago
Baby, it's cold outside is not just a controversial song in 2019.
Polar vortex is here. The Chicago area is going to be seeing temperatures reach their lowest since the 1980's. I go back to the olden days of 1982. We had temperatures in the -25 range for two consecutive weekends. The wind chills were in the -50's. People were warned against turning on their ovens for heat, but they did it anyways...myself included. It was that brutally cold.
We're about to see those temperatures again. Today's low is expected to be -18. On Wednesday, it ranges from a high temp of -12 to a low of -21. Schools were cancelling classes two days in advance. That's unheard of! This isn't just suck it up cuz we're tough Chicago weather. This is life threatening weather.
What if you're homeless? What if you're living on the street with nowhere to go? How do you keep yourself safe?
The photo above is a list of warming areas in Chicago. The first four on the list are open from nine am to five pm. The bottom two will be open twenty-four hours. There are only two warming centers in the city that will be available during the next two brutal nights. At least, during the day there are other places homeless people can go. Libraries will be open through the early evening. Most fast food restaurants and coffee houses won't be kicking people out. There's always buses, trains and police stations. We need to and can do better.
The city needs to raise it's game...big time. The government talks about how they will do everything possible to keep Chicago's people safe. The people living on its streets are Chicago's people, too. They're also among the most vulnerable to be affected by brutal weather.
What I recommend is the city opens all it's warming centers for twenty-four hours for the next few days. Hopefully, the next administration will make building more warming centers a priority. How about doubling them? How about spreading them out in all areas of the city?
Who knows when the next time we'll see another real polar vortex like this one. It could be another three decades or it could be in 2020. Let's be better prepared for when it does happen....because it will.
Related Post: Homelessness in America 2018
This another post in the ongoing series Face of Homelessness
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