MILWAUKEE, Wis. — While many wish for a white Christmas or extra presents around the tree, others are just hoping to stay warm for the holidays.
As Milwaukee continues its stretch of single digit temperatures and dangerous wind chills, safety concerns rise for the homeless population without shelter throughout the county.
TMJ4 spoke with Eric Collins-Dyke the Assistant Administrator of Milwaukee County’s Supportive Housing and Homeless Services, who says in the last year alone the county has seen a noticeable rise in unsheltered people.
“We’ve seen an increase, definitely on the street, in terms of unsheltered homelessness and as that’s gone deeper into the winter, when weather gets to these low temps and gets frigid, we get more concerned,” said Collins-Dyke.
Those negative trends further motivating their goal of keeping people safe.
“Our outreach team has been out the last few days from 8am to 9pm,” he explained. “When it gets to dangerously cold temps like this, what we try to do is convince people to go indoors on the spot.”
In 2021 there were 52 homeless deaths in Milwaukee County according to the Medical Examiner’s office.
Community organizations and warming centers are working to make sure no one must lose their life due to the cold this Christmas.
TMJ4’s Mariam Mackar asked him what solutions there are to combatting the homeless crisis in the county.
“I think a significant increase in affordable housing is one that always sticks out, and increase in services also for when people are in housing to make sure they can maintain their housing,” Collins-Dyke responded.
Until then, several warming centers will be open throughout the holiday weekend for those who need a warm meal and a place to stay.
Anyone who sees somebody living outside in these dangerous temperatures can send and email with the location and general description of the person to the Milwaukee County Homeless Outreach Team at outreach@milwaukeecountywi.gov.
Three drop-in warming shelters are available:
- St. Benedict the Moor Parish (930 W. State St.)
- Repairers of the Breach (1335 W. Vliet st.)
- Milwaukee County's Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center (1220 W. Vliet St.)
