Cold weather will pose challenges for Macon’s homeless populations. What shelters are doing

As Macon braces for bitter cold to roll in later this week, homeless shelters and nonprofits are prepping to help people who may have trouble finding warmth.

People experiencing homelessness often don’t have a place to go to escape cold weather. People experiencing homelessness are at greater risk of getting hypothermia and other cold-related illnesses, with an estimated 700 people in homelessness dying of hypothermia annually, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.

To protect people from the cold, Jake Hall — executive director of United to End Homelessness, a partnership of local shelters and other nonprofits focused on helping people experiencing homelessness — said the group is working with Macon-Bibb County to open shelters and other resources.

About 330 beds had been prepared Wednesday afternoon, primarily across three shelters: the Salvation Army, the Brookdale resource center and Hello House. There are also a few smaller and more specialized shelters that have mobilized to help during the cold, Hall said.

The number of beds necessary is determined by how many people have turned to United to End Homelessness during similar weather events in the past.

“We’ve been able to connect our shelter system into a unified whole where we can manage capacities and referrals in a more elegant way,” Hall said.

The incoming winter weather is part of a larger winter storm system sending unseasonable cold across the country and causing icy roads, grounded flights and power outages.

Hall said shelters in the partnership are working to increase their capacity, and shelters that open for a limited number of hours are extending their hours in anticipation of cold weather.

In addition to people experiencing homelessness, shelters expect to see people who are inadequately housed looking for a warm place to stay, said Chris Floore, chief communications officer with Macon-Bibb County.

People who are inadequately housed are people who have access to housing, but it is poorly constructed or may lack basic amenities like heat and running water.

Floore said while the county is still determining how dangerous the incoming winter weather will be, the government quickly identified the danger it poses to people experiencing homelessness and notified United to End Homelessness through the Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency.

“Ahead of severe (weather) later this week, we’ve had a meeting with our service providers for people experiencing homelessness to coordinate the available beds,” Floore said.

Hall said one of the most important parts of preparing for cold weather is communication to people experiencing homelessness that shelters are open during the cold.

United to End Homelessness asks resource centers and nonprofits that serve meals to spread the word to people who come in. From there, Hall said people experiencing homelessness talk to each other and spread the word.

Hall said he and the rest of United to End Homelessness feel confident in their ability to see Macon’s unhoused through the cold.

“We have more than moderate capacity throughout the system, so we are ready,” Hall said. “Should a surge of people come tonight, our system is ready to receive them.”