How Does Winter Affect Homeless People?

Many homeless individuals in Toronto are at risk of harm and death due to the oftentimes destitute housing centers that are provided. This extends to a lack of shelter, respite, and even just warmth to deal with the winter. Extreme cold weather, of course, increases the danger of injury and mortality among homeless people much more than mild winter weather does. The effects of cold weather range anywhere from common rain and dampness to snow and ice, all of which are also known to lead to hypothermia.

Hypothermia has a long list of hopefully short-term, but in the worst case, permanent side effects. These symptoms, according to the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can include:

• Shivering

• Slurred speech

• Drowsiness

• Memory loss

• Permanent limb loss and/or injury

As a result of the lack of support for homeless people in the winter, hypothermia occurs far more commonly among Toronto's homeless population than it does in the general population. One-quarter of all hypothermic injuries and one-fifth of hypothermic deaths occur among the homeless, despite them making up a much smaller part of the actual population.

It can be difficult for the homeless to conquer and deal with this problem. Congregate shelters are not a viable option for everyone, since many candidates can either not reach them or their situation is not deemed as in need of said shelters, and many other specific factors that are different for each individual.

While hypothermia is one of the most prominent results of the inability to find shelter in the winter, the cold can lead to other, less debilitating problems too, such as frostbite, the flu, or even the common cold. If frostbite is left untreated, severe episodes can also result in the need for amputation, similarly to hypothermia. People who are homeless might not be able to aquire medical help, especially if affordable transportation is not available.

References:

1. https://palletshelter.com/blog/winter-affect-homelessness/

2. https://maphealth.ca/homeless-cold-injury-toronto/#:~:text=Findings,to%20more%20case s%20of%20hypothermia.

Researcher: Ayesha Khattak

Editor: Katherin Hain

Date published: Feburary 11th 2023