Southern California lacks proper infrastructure to protect those without shelter from severe winter weather, housing advocates say.
Frigid temperatures, heavy rain and snow — and even hail — brought by aBut not everyone has a home in which to seek shelter.
But the region, officials say, lacks the general infrastructure to handle such harsh winter conditions. And the infrastructure that exists is distributed unevenly. San Bernardino and Pasadena, for example, lack winter shelters entirely, while Los Angeles County’s homeless population is so large it’s unlikely near-unlimited resources would be enough to help everyone.
“People are often residing in places that flood very easily — but not often, so they may not know the risks of being in a specific area,” Roberts said. “We’re faced with trying to make sure people are not dealing with the elements that lead to health issues like hypothermia; we’re also trying to make sure that they’re at high enough ground — when the flooding and the water does come — to be safe.”
But as it stands, the agency has just under 300 beds available through its winter shelter program, according to agency spokesperson Ahmad Chapman.
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