The Frozen Homeless

Thanks to the work in City Hall of private charity organizations, the city of Moscow has made an effort to lower the number of homeless who are hospitalized due to frostbites or hypothermia. Patrols of the city are carried out both on foot and in cars to find homeless people before its too late. When someone is found they are given immediate medical assistance if necessary and are transported either to a hospital or a homeless shelter.

In past years, homeless have been able to hide out in stairwells, basements, or manholes. But due to the increase in door codes, locks on basements, or wielding of manholes, the homeless have found themselves locked out of the accesses to warmth (or at least not below freezing temperatures).

Many of the immigrants on the streets are from poor rural Russian areas and came to Moscow with the hope of finding a job and a way out of poverty. These immigrants find themselves in the streets with no job, no way of getting home, and their few important possessions stolen.

The work of these private charity organizations has saved many lives. Now legislation is needed to foster a collaboration between state agencies assigned to help those in the streets.


http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/city-steps-up-efforts-to-protect-homeless-from-cold/399344.html

PS The National Low in temperature in Russia is -97 C which is equivalent to -137 F