Monday, February 5, 1996

Homeless Not Out in Cold, City Hopes


The snow and brutally cold weather may have kept many people indoors yesterday, and the city says it hopes the same is true for homeless men and women who don't always enjoy warm surroundings.

The Department of Homeless Services offers 39 adult shelters, nine family shelters and four assessment centers throughout the city. No one will be turned away, said Susan Wiviott, a deputy chief with the agency.

The New York City Police Department has officially declared a cold emergency, which allows police or outreach workers to pick up someone they see at risk in the cold. In addition, the Outreach Program at Homeless Services also has teams working with the Police Homeless Outreach Unit to bring the homeless to a shelter. Police said yesterday that there has not been a weather-related death since temperatures dropped to arctic levels.

Although Wiviott said that the shelters were at 97 percent capacity Friday night - the last evening figures were available - she expects more people at the shelters in coming days.

Temperatures yesterday were at a near record low, with no sign of a change, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures may reach the high 20s later in the week, but wind chill factors will make it feel like 5 below zero outside, the weather service said.

At the Jamaica shelter on 168th Street, some beds were still available yesterday afternoon, according to an em-ployee there.

The Kingsbridge Assessment Center in the Bronx was full, as was the Bedford-Atlantic Armory in Brooklyn, em-ployees there said.

But if a shelter is full, the city will provide transportation to another shelter and transportation back the following morning, they said.

Courtesy of Newsday
February 5, 1996, Monday

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