SEATTLE — Philip Waldenberg was staying outside in a hammock, wrapped up in a sleeping bag, before the forecast turned snowy and freezing cold.
“But as soon as the snow report came in, I really panicked,” he said.
Waldenberg became homeless at the beginning of December. He recently lost his job and his landlord sold the house where he was renting a room, he said. He knew that if he got wet outside, it would be nearly impossible to stay warm.
This week, Waldenberg joined hundreds of people seeking refuge in one of the four emergency weather shelters that opened across Seattle starting Dec. 14 as the region was hit with snow, ice and freezing temperatures. With temperatures remaining in the 20s on Thursday, he said he’s thankful to have a place to come inside.
“It’s been a lifesaver,” he said.
More than 13,000 people were counted homeless during this year’s Point-In-Time count and more than half were living in tents, cars or other outdoor places, totaling more than 7,600 people. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has reported at least five homeless people have died from causes this year that include hypothermia or environmental causes and those numbers do not include December.
The King County Regional Homelessness Authority, which is in charge of the county’s emergency-weather response for the first time this year, worked with social service nonprofits throughout Seattle to open extra overnight space at the Seattle Center, Seattle City Hall, in the Compass Housing Alliance Day Center in Pioneer Square and in the Lakefront Community House, where Waldenberg is currently staying.
There are more emergency weather shelters open throughout the region. Go to st.news/kingshelter to see a full list for King County and go to st.news/snoshelter to see a full list for Snohomish County.
Although shelters began opening last Wednesday, not all locations have reached full capacity, based on data provided by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. There are currently 270 extra beds in Seattle and an additional 200 beds spread out across several cities in King County.
The Fisher Pavilion at the Seattle Center has had the greatest increase in overnight guests — from 37 people staying overnight on Dec. 14 to 118 staying there Wednesday night. Seattle City Hall opened on Tuesday night and had eight people the first night and 29 the following.
Seattle’s emergency weather shelters were scheduled to close Thursday morning, but due to continued freezing temperatures, all of the sites remain open.
At the Fusion Family Center in Federal Way, staff member Paige Sauer said that people were lined up outside this morning and asking to get indoors to warm up. Even though the space’s 13 overnight beds are full, Sauer said that they’re letting anyone come inside to get warm, drink a hot beverage and try to get some rest in the daytime.
Because they’ve reached capacity, Sauer said, staff have started working with people to try to pay for them to get into a hotel for a night or two while temperatures remain dangerously cold.
Michael Johnson was sitting in Compass Housing Alliance’s Day Center in Pioneer Square on Thursday afternoon with around 20 other people who were trying to escape the elements.
After the day center closed at 3:30 p.m., Johnson, wearing a camo coat with a hood pulled tight over his head, said he just had to find something to do until he can get back into the building when the overnight shelter opens at 6 p.m.
“It’s just a matter of survival,” Johnson said. “It’s been pretty rough.”
Lisa Edge, spokesperson for the authority, said outreach workers are canvassing the city to ensure that people are hearing about the added shelters. Seattle Fire Department’s Health One team has been transporting people to shelters Wednesday and Thursday.
And for people who don’t want to take a shelter referral, Edge said that outreach workers have warming supplies to offer.
People are reluctant to leave all of their belongings and come inside, especially if it’s just overnight. Sharon Lee, executive director of the Low-Income Housing Institute, which is running one of the city’s four emergency weather shelters, said that she’d like to see cold-weather shelters that run more seasonally, rather than on an emergency basis so more people knew to come inside.
“We’re very very concerned about this because so many people are vulnerable,” Lee said.
Just north of Lumen Field, a man who goes by the name “Keep” was huddled in a red tent with snow on the ground around him. He had a can of hand sanitizer on fire in there with him to stay warm.
Cold weather can often lead to an uptick in fires at homeless encampments because nylon tents are extremely flammable and occupants become desperate to stay under cover and warm.
He didn’t have much, but a newspaper, Keep said, to read and try to get his mind of off things.
“You adapt to the environment,” he said through a hole he was using to vent the chemical fumes.
