I wish I hadn’t predicted this would happen... and we are just in early December. Some thoughts... (1/) https://twitter.com/safetynetujc/status/1336342187798376451

The subways should be reopened immediately. There are other ways to clean the subways that are not be violent to homeless people. (2/)

Adding to this: hospital EDs & lobbies have always served as a de facto, sometimes unspoken, safety valve to insufficiencies in the homeless services system— providing a warm respite for those avoiding worse options. But two things are different, and dangerous, this year. (3/)

First, due to COVID19 hospitals are not being asked to follow the customary Code Blue protocols of allowing people who are homeless to stay in waiting areas on cold nights. (4/)

Second, with a new surge of COVID the hospitals may be even less inclined to keep homeless patients in the ED or inpatient once acute medical needs have resolved. (5/)

Also, many of the detoxes in NYC closed last year. Detox, while not particularly effective for substance use disorder, had been highly effective in providing a warm bed for a few nights for people who were homeless. (6/)

Outpatient substance use services are good, but they don’t immediately prevent hypothermia. (7/)

Many of the other non-shelter / non-drop in places people who are homeless might seek refuge from the cold (like the 24 hour McDonalds) are (even more than usual) closed to them now too. (8/)

I fear this winter. (end)