Winter Weather Warming Centers

Living in the Northwest poses risk for those who find themselves unsheltered during the winter season. Given the current economic conundrum of affordable housing shortage, it would seem a likely and reasonably feasible extension of our city governments in Whatcom County to implement general public warming centers. Warming centers in each city essentially counter the health risks to our unhoused population yearly when it is cold. Warming centers save lives. 

While I am grateful that the city and county responded with action to the urgent requests from the community this winter 2 weeks into the storm, a storm does not constitute the only reason for initiating and maintaining a warming center.

Wintertime means rainy cold windy weather, and below freezing temperatures for the duration of winter months. Again, this is the Northwest. To adequately assess the need for a warming center, government officials must be aware of the human condition and exposure levels. Most housed populations do not endure the weather risks of those who are residing outdoors on a continual basis.

Not establishing adequate public resources for every demographic of unhoused persons means choosing to let people risk their health and lives. This lack of responsiveness has devastating repercussions. Inaction in passed years has resulted in a terrible death count of lives lost. We have a devastating record of allowing people to freeze to death or cause harm to themselves and/or others when using unsafe means attempting to stay warm.

Our city hosts an annual memorial service every year to honor the homeless casualties of our city streets. There are other ways we can  honor the dead,  such as prompting the living to action!

Here is an unprofound suggestion that we work towards solutions of proactive sustainable preservation of lives rather than retrospective grieving and guilt that does nothing for the living who are unhoused today, and will certainly do nothing to bring the deceased back to life.