'Deadly' Cold Signals Danger For LI's Most Vulnerable, Living Outdoors

LONG ISLAND, NY — As Long Islanders take measures to prevent hypothermia in the face of a brutal cold front blanketing the area Friday night into Saturday, those concerned about the most vulnerable population — those without homes — are working to spread the word on where they can find shelter.

Organizations that help the unhoused on Long Island geared up for the frigid temperatures Friday night.

Dan O'Shea, executive director of Maureen's Haven, a homeless outreach program that works with house of worship on the East End to shelter those without homes, reflected on the dangerous cold front facing his clients.

"We are prepared for the cold weather, and we will do everything we can to accommodate as many as we can without having to turn anyone away," he told Patch. "We don't want anyone to be outside in this weather."

O'Shea said Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming visited various encampments on the East End on Thursday, where people live in tents in the woods. Fleming teamed up with the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless for the outreach, he said.

Undocumented individuals, he said, comprise about a third of the Maureen's Haven winter population, he said.

"We are doing our best to actively communicate with undocumented people," he said, adding that advice is offered on where to go when the temperatures plunge. "Many will spread the word. We try to keep the lines of communication open."

Fleming said she and her staff, along with Southampton Town police, Heart of the Hamptons, Hamptons Community Outreach, and LICH, headed out Thursday to the woods off County Road 39 in Southampton to warn those living in tents about the dangers of the frigid cold.

"There are people who have makeshift living arrangements, but that's not going to protect them from this kind of weather," Fleming said.

The group distributed food and blankets and shared information on how to seek warm shelter.

"It's important," Fleming said. "It's really dangerous out there right now — it's deadly."

The Department of Social Services, when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, issues a Code Blue alert, relaxing admission rules to allow anyone who needs a place to sleep for the night to seek shelter, Fleming said.

Michael Giuffrida, associate director at LICH in Amityville, said his organization has year-round street outreach across Long Island, but ramps up outreach ahead of inclement weather.

LICH's street outreach has engaged 390 people on the street in the past year; there are about 75 people on the street for every street outreach worker, Guiffrida said.

"We've pretty much seen a steady increase in street homelessness since COVID," he said.

Despite the Code Blue provisions and expanded eligibility requirements, there are "quite a number who do not access DSS shelters," due to personal reasons, or based on needs and preferences, he said. Up to a third of single adults on Long Island who are experiencing homelessness are not presenting on the street and not going into shelters, he said.

The majority of people on the street are aware of DSS emergency housing resources and are either not eligible or they believe shelter does not meet their needs or preferences, he added.

"Some of the major barriers are shelter payment requirements, people being offered congregate shelter options only, being relocated to a different community where shelter is available — away from their work, supports, or the community they are familiar with," he said. Often, they won’t split up from a significant other, won’t leave from their pets — and many are concerned about citizenship status, Guiffrida said.

Those factors lead to a larger problem, Guiffrida said.

"There is a lack of shelter alternatives that provide easier access to shelter, in the ways people on the street need and are comfortable with," he said. "Unfortunately because almost all shelters have high barriers to entry, it is most often those that are disabled that remain outside. There is an overdue need for fundamental changes to shelter eligibility regulations, starting at the state level, in order to ensure that more people living outside have access to shelter that meets their needs."

LICH's outreach team provides information on how to access shelter — and can transport to DSS shelters — and information on housing and other resources that are available, he said. The group also helps people attain identification and phones to stay connected. The group spotlights safety planning for people facing domestic violence, or who are at risk of victimization on the street, he said.

The number of homeless on Long Island was recently documented, he added.

LIHC's "very preliminary" unsheltered "point in time," or PIT results show above 150 people counted in a day in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

"We project that there are approximately 400 people living outside currently between the two counties, mostly living in the woods, vehicles, at train stations, parks, and other locations. Many people take refuge during the day inside libraries," Guiffrida said.

And the danger is very real, he said.

"We are aware of 25 people that were living unsheltered that have died during the past two winters. With the sudden and dramatic temperature drop and wind chill, we are preparing for the worst. It’s possible we can lose more than 10 people overnight," he said.

The big takeaway, Fleming said, is the community needs to be aware of how many unhoused neighbors there are.

"This is a situation that we need to be aware of — and do what we can to help these folks," she said.

She added: "It’s important to interact, to see that these are people who have fallen on bad circumstances. We just don’t know what their personal stories are or how they are in such dire straits. Talk with them — they are people like us, like you and me — and they need the assistance."

Another hurdle is that many don't even realize that homelessness exists in the Hamptons, Fleming said. One constituent, who was told about their plight, made a "very generous" donation of blankets and food, she said.

The urgency centers on finding shelter for the unhoused Friday night, she said.

"This is an all-hand-on-deck situation," Fleming said. "It's dangerously cold."

To access shelter, call the DSS emergency line at:
Suffolk- 516-573-8626
Nassau- 1-866-WARMBED

The LICH Street Outreach team has a Helpline messaging system set up for anyone living outside and for community members that know of, or observe, people living outside. Call 631-464-4314 x ext. 118

More information and resources are available here.

Other resources include:

Suffolk County Dept. Social Services Emergency Line: 631-854-9100

LI Coalition for the Homeless: 631-464-4314

Maureen's Haven: 631-727-6831

HEAP Hotline: 1800-342-3009

PSEG Outage: 1-800-490-0075