Climate Change Affects the Homeless
- By Olivia Burik
When dramatic weather or natural disaster strike, homeless and unsheltered individuals are disproportionately affected.
Western Pennsylvania weather fluctuates greatly, including sudden drops or increases in temperature, no matter the season. Weather shifts pose a major threat to those who cannot rely on a home to protect them from the elements.
Climate change is exacerbating this threat.
In the 100 years between 1916 and 2016, average annual precipitation increased by 5 to 10% in Pennsylvania. For those without shelter, precipitation makes already challenging circumstances even worse.
The homeless in Pittsburgh often camp along the water or near bridges.
Gabriel Krivosh, senior manager of Services for Allegheny County’s Adults Experiencing Homelessness, elaborated on this.
“The riverbanks end up functioning as ideal encampment locations,” Krivosh said. He added that people are more secluded and can feel more secure along these banks, as the water is at least one side where no threats can approach.
Krivosh oversees efforts to connect with and provide assistance for the homeless population in Pittsburgh. His agency is part of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
In Krivosh’s prior position as supervisor at the Office of Community Services for their field unit, he worked directly with the homeless community.
The agency’s primary focus is “connecting to people who are unsheltered or are staying in a shelter program and helping them connect to longer-term resources for housing or health care, whatever it is that they’ve identified they want support with,” Krivosh said.
The field team unit often tries to inform the homeless around Pittsburgh of impending severe weather, including flooding. The aim, Krivosh said, is to keep them safe and ensure that their belongings will not be lost.
Floods, especially in the spring, “put folks and their belongings at risk of being washed away,” said Krivosh.
The same natural disasters that threaten the homeless also have the potential to cause sudden homelessness.
Globally, about 14 million become homeless every year as a result of sudden disasters such as floods or storms, according to the Reuters Foundation. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, about 200,000 homes were lost to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Climate change can bring about storms with increased intensity, according to the United States Geological Survey. The agency also reports that “more heat in the atmosphere and warmer ocean surface temperatures can lead to increased wind speeds in tropical storms”.
Pittsburgh’s three rivers and multiple streams increase the potential for individuals and families to lose their homes because of floods and landslides.
According to the Red Cross Disaster Program Manager for Pittsburgh, Carlos Carmona, a couple of floods a year cause damage to homes in the Pittsburgh area. Allegheny County is ranked first for flooding in Pennsylvania.
“In 2021 we had 21 storm slash flood events in Southwestern Pennsylvania,” Carmona said.
However, even the normal day-to-day weather itself can be daunting.
The homeless often endure dangerous exposure to extreme temperatures. Krivosh said that certain wounds or illnesses can be exacerbated by severe heat or humidity.
Heat brings with it the possibility for heatstroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, severe sunburn, and heat rash. All of these are much more likely for those without shelter. An article from the National Alliance to End Homelessness details that homeless and especially elderly homeless people can experience worsened chronic health issues, difficulty storing vital medications, and increased health risks from dehydration.
Extreme cold is also deadly. According to an article from research and advocacy group Generation Progress, any temperature below 50 degrees can cause hypothermia. Additionally, factors common among the homeless like insufficient or wet clothing can heighten the probability of hypothermia and frostbite.
Some shelters in the Pittsburgh area are designated for cold weather. Krivosh mentioned that these typically operate between November 15 and March 15. However, he pointed out, cold fronts can occur much later into the spring and can happen earlier in the fall.
And the available space in Pittsburgh shelters is limited. “Whether the weather is pleasant or miserable, there are still not enough shelter spaces typically,” Krivosh said.
The new 2nd Avenue Commons shelter, which is currently being built downtown, will help, Krivosh said. It will add around 95 new beds for the homeless community. This new shelter will be open year-round, unlike some of the already existing cold-weather facilities.
The facility will accept anyone, regardless of addiction or mental illness, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article on the shelter. It will also welcome pets.
Additional features include medical and addiction services as well as assistance with unemployment. Access to food, showers, mail services, and laundry are also expected.
This facility will recognize the need for shelter, regardless of the temperature or weather, which is essential with our changing climate.
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Podcast: Conversation with Carlos Carmona
– by Isabella Abbott
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No Relief in Sight
By: Nick Klein, Isabella Abbott, Olivia Buri
Johnny Cash once sang: “If the Lord’s willing and the creeks don’t rise.” But in Western Pennsylvania the “creeks” do rise, like a curse from Satan during April and May. They hurt those who reside in flood zones and even more, so they dislocate the homeless populations in tent communities near the edges of the area’s rivers and streams.
Every eight minutes, the American Red Cross responds to an emergency. Whether it’s a tornado, winter storm, fire, or a flood, the organization will feed, shelter, and provide general support to those seeking it. When weather-related disasters occur, organizations such as the Red Cross show up to help the displaced and needy. Although fires are the most common emergency the Red Cross responds to, flooding is a close second.
Sadly, there is no relief in sight. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website. Climate change will increase the number of floods in the area. Every county in Pennsylvania will continue to get wetter, with the average annual rainfall increasing by 8 percent.
Pennsylvania is one of the most flood-prone states in the nation. “Allegheny County is ranked first in the state of Pennsylvania for annual flooding,” said Carlos Carmona of the Red Cross, because of the city’s location at the convergence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers.
Climate change and global warming are also bringing higher temperatures to the region. According to WPXI news, the average annual temperature for the city is now 51.8 degrees based on the new 30-year normal (1991-2020). This is 0.5 degrees warmer than the previous 30-year average.
The combination of the increasing heat and precipitation makes Allegheny County, Pennsylvania’s ground zero for flood damage.
The Red Cross, led by volunteers, provides necessities when displaced people have nowhere else to turn.
“We try to take care of the flood victims’ basic needs within the first 72 hours,” said Carmona.
“Being in an urban environment, we’ve got a very large group of socially or financially economically underprivileged people who live in known flood areas,” Carmona explained.
“If a family loses their home to a flood, the Red Cross makes sure that they don’t end up stranded on the street. If a person is already homeless at the time of the flood, the Red Cross always helps and protects everyone under any circumstances,” Carmona said.
As climate changes and global warming become more apparent, Pittsburgh officials have been concerned about the many people who live along the banks of the three rivers and their tributaries. The homeless will need safe shelter on dry land.
City leaders have made a start with the brand new 42,000-square-foot, five-story Homeless Shelter on Second Avenue.
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