David K. Tang-Quan ’15, a Harvard Square Homeless Shelter administrative co-director, explained that while the shelter stays open all day during snow storms and distributes warm clothing and food to those on the streets, it does not have the room to significantly expand in winter weather.
“Unfortunately, we’re always at capacity,” he said, citing fire codes that limit the number of guests. Tang-Quan said that the shelter does add five emergency beds every night the temperature drops below freezing, putting the shelter at capacity nearly every night of the winter.
At the Salvation Army in Central Square, space is more flexible, but other resources are stretched thin. According to Director of Operations Karen Meahan, the shelter sets up an additional 15 emergency beds and lets people sit inside to keep warm during cold weather, but the shelter is also spending almost twice as much on food.
“You can only add so much water to the soup before it’s no longer soup,” said Lieutenant Michael Harper, a Salvation Army Corps officer.
Yet, despite these available resources, Thomas said that many homeless people feel safer staying out in the cold rather than in the shelter.
“One of the guys I worked with has PTSD, a shelter for him is one of the most terrifying places you could put him,” she said. “There’s too much noise, there’s too many people, there’s too much stuff going on in the environment, and for him, being outside where it’s 15 degrees feels safer than being in a crowded shelter.”
Shannon said that she has seen cases of frostbite, but could not specify its prevalence because not all the population used shelter or health services.
Martin, 48, said that he had passed several snowstorms outdoors this year, resulting in multiple bouts of pneumonia.
“Pretty cold,” he said of this winter, rubbing his gloved hands together.
Davie said his usual winter outfit consists of two t-shirts, a sweatshirt, three coats, a pair of pants, basketball sneakers, two pairs of gloves, and two scarves.
“Hopefully, another year, and then I’ll get back to the warm country,” said Davie, referring to California, where he was residing prior to coming to Cambridge. “I really don’t want to see another winter here in Massachusetts. This is a bad one.”
—Staff writer Sonali Y. Salgado can be reached at sonali.salgado@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @SonaliSalgado16.
—Staff writer Caroline T. Zhang can be reached at caroline.zhang@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @CarolineTZhang.