Homelessness Survival Stories in Harsh Cleveland Winters

We all remember the brutal days when the temperatures plummeted well below 32 degrees. With the sharp wind and biting air, walking from the car to the office felt intolerable. Sadly, the truth is that many men, women, and children like Erica and her family spent not only a few moments in the harsh elements, but days.

While some sleep in doorways and on the streets, others attempt refuge in less obvious spaces. Whether huddled in cars, camping in an abandoned building or covered up with leaves in a park, Clevelanders experiencing homelessness will try anything to survive.

Bruce, a recent graduate of The City Mission’s Crossroads Men’s Crisis Center program, knows exactly what this struggle feels like. Bruce, however, chose a third option.  

Well into his 60s, Bruce suffered from addiction for decades and had reached the end of his rope.

“I lived down by a creek. I dug a ditch and I laid on the ground,” Bruce said. “I put leaves and dirty blankets down. I laid there for a long time.” A long time turned into a year. Bruce stayed in his makeshift bed through every season, including a devastating Cleveland winter where he had nothing but one pair of coveralls to keep him warm. “I wanted to die so bad,” Bruce remembers.

Health Risks for the Homeless

Concerns arise for the homeless during the most extreme winter weather, but hypothermia can actually set in at temperatures just below 50 degrees. As temperatures drop the risk for exposure-related illness, conditions such as frostbite, and even death increase dramatically. This is especially true for individuals experiencing homelessness who might be very young or old, malnourished, exhausted, or have preexisting health conditions.

As a senior citizen going through withdrawals and standing at over six feet tall, it’s a wonder Bruce stayed hidden and survived last winter in his unsheltered encampment. According to a study done by the National Coalition for the Homeless earlier this decade, he could have easily been one of the 700 homeless individuals who die annually from hypothermia.

Why So Many are Unsheltered

The question many ask about people like Erica and Bruce is, “Why didn’t they go to a shelter?” While the answer is different for every individual, a few clear themes emerge:

• Lack of Available Beds
  • Unfortunately, the need for shelter is greater than what is available even on mild-temperature days. This is especially true for facilities that accept families. Over the last 10 years, Cuyahoga County lost 540 beds for families and individuals in shelters and transitional housing. For women with children like Erica, their options for sufficient and safe care are limited and often have a waiting list.
• Fear of Staying in a Shelter
  • Some shelters can carry a reputation for being unsafe or unsanitary. When shelters are understaffed and overcapacity, there is a higher potential for violence and theft. Other concerns such as contracting lice, bed bugs or the flu can keep people out of shelters too.
• Mental Health
  • Some individuals may hold a deep skepticism of shelters due to unaddressed mental health concerns or past trauma that they experienced while previously staying in a shelter. In their minds, staying on the streets seems like a better alternative to trusting an organization with open doors.

Heartbreakingly, for these and many other reasons, families and individuals either choose to — or are forced to — take the chance surviving on their own, putting them at high risk for death and the other health concerns shared above.