Frigid weather isn't creating crush at shelters

Frigid temperatures pose a "critical time" for homeless people, experts say, but this week's cold snap hasn't increased attendance at area shelters - at least so far.

Leaders of Public Action to Deliver Shelter in DuPage and Kane counties say they haven't seen any major influxes of additional people trying to escape the cold.

"But we certainly are alert and ready," said Kathleen Johnson, director of development at DuPage PADS. "It's hard enough living on the street and when these kinds of severe weather conditions occur, it can be really overwhelming."

The DuPage interim housing program offers three overnight sites on most nights at different religious congregations around the county.

In extreme weather, organizers don't turn anyone away, she said. Capacity at the sites vary, though they usually serve about 145 visitors a night.

Officials said they saw their biggest influx in October, when all three overnight sites opened.

In past spurts of sub-zero temps, leaders have anticipated small increases and have yet to confront anything unmanageable, Johnson said.

During these times, people become resourceful, she said. For example, some guests who have cars will leave for the night to free up space; or a group may get together to rent a hotel room.

"I have to say our participants are very resourceful," Johnson said. "They know to come in from the cold."

While shelter attendance has been fairly normal this week, the overall numbers of PADS visitors has steadily increased each year, she said.

In 2006, leaders saw 93 families and 80 children, a 33 percent increase from the year before. This 2007 statistics haven't been finalized, but they expect the trend to continue, she said.

It's a similar story at the PADS overnight shelter in Aurora, Hesed House Director Ryan Dowd said.

In this kind of weather, the overnight shelter is open 24 hours a day, "which puts a strain on everything," he said.

The shelter set a record a few months ago when it served 207 visitors, he said. A few days in a row of numbers like that, "and the system starts to break down," he said.

With warmer weather expected this weekend, Dowd said he's not expecting anything like that now.

The shelter normally serves less than 200 people a night, but even that number is significant. Hesed House leaders currently are trying to raise $1 million to buy the building across the street from their current one, at 659 S. River St.

They hope to partner with other community agencies to set up a "one-stop" shop of homeless services.

For more information or to volunteer, call DuPage PADS at (630) 682-3846 or Hesed House at (630) 897-2156 or visit www.dupagepads.org or www.hesedhouse.org.