OHIO — People facing housing insecurity have one more obstacle to endure as temperatures have shifted in the Buckeye state.

What You Need To Know

• It can take 6-9 months to go from street homelessness to safe and affordable housing 


• One’s emotional and mental health is impacted further through trauma as they live without basic needs during winter months 


• Warmer temperatures provide a false sense of comfort that can be devastating to one’s health when they shift downward

Roxann Payne, Manager of the Mt. Carmel Urban Health Management Program said on average it takes months, if not almost a year, to help people go through the documentation process to get off of the streets and into housing.

In the meantime, while they’re waiting, being on the street, in an abandoned building or even in their car takes a toll on them from a physical health standpoint.

“We can see that if someone has diabetes and they need to have refrigeration as an option for insulin or have fresh fruit, fresh produce options available…we can almost know right away that they’re not going to be able to have those needs addressed,” she said.

Also, there are elements of street homelessness that remain hidden when living on the streets during winter. That includes the impact on their mental and emotional health, as they “certainly experience a varying degree of trauma when living without their most basic needs being met on a daily basis” Payne explained. 

As they wait for housing and go through the ups and downs of the process, the challenges keep adding up. That includes the up and down temperatures that give a false sense of comfort. Payne said, their teams reach out to people, provide warnings about overnight temperatures dramatically changing, and look to get people into warm, safe places.

However, she said it’s tough when it’s above 40 degrees and the sun is out in the morning to prepare people mentally for what’s coming at night. So, many times when people realize the conditions, programs and places have closed.

As a result, “If it’s a really big need, that false sense of security can have a really devastating impact on someone’s health when the weather inevitably changes.”