Concerns about homeless amid Bay Area cold snap
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Freezing temperatures across the Bay Area is causing concern about the safety of the thousands of people who sleep on the streets.
In San Jose, the city says it had street outreach teams making the rounds this week, warning about the dangers of the cold, and trying to get people move inside to shelters. Non-profits, like CHAM, were out in force too.
"I’m worried for what played out here basically six weeks ago," said Scott Largent, a volunteer with CHAM.
Largent says the weather was so cold several weeks ago that some of the city’s homeless population began to suffer from a form of hypothermia called paradoxical undressing.
"You’ll hear them talking to themselves, and then you’ll start to see them shed the clothes, and that’s very hard to see because it’s absolutely freezing, and they think they’re super warm, and they need to shed layers," said Largent.
So on nights like Wednesday, Largent says he and his team make the rounds, warning people about the dangers of hypothermia, and handing out blankets.
Largent, says another major concern is fires at encampments.
"People will have a barbeque, they’ll have a fire pit. They put it closer and closer to their tent, and a lot of people out here haven’t had the survival training to understand to not have that right on the side of their tent."
The city of San Jose meantime, is offering two warming shelters to help get people out of the cold.
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"On a night like this, during a cold snap like this, we certainly want to get as many people inside as we can," said Jeff Scott, a spokesperson for the City of San Jose's housing department.
Reservations are required to get into City of San Jose warming centers. The number to call is (408) 515-6886.