Winter in Chicago isn’t just harsh, it can be deadly. Harsh winds cut through layers of clothing, ice coats the streets and temperatures plunge low enough to freeze breath into ice. For most of us, winter is an inconvenience or simply an excuse for a snow day. But for those with no home to go to, it’s about survival.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on any given day, more than half a million people in the U.S. experience homelessness. During the colder months, the dangers multiply where freezing nights, hunger and illness become an everyday battle with no guarantee of shelter or support.
It’s a crisis that’s often ignored, but it’s happening all around us even closer than we may realize.
According to the 2024 Point-in-Time Census, 1,188 people in Suburban Cook County were reported as homeless. More than 10% have no access to shelter and that number climbs higher as temperatures lower.
Surviving winter without shelter isn’t just uncomfortable, but it could be deadly. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, people experiencing homelessness are nearly 40 times more likely to die from cold exposure compared to the general population.
Hypothermia is one of the main injuries that homeless people face when body temperature drops below 95 degrees, causing confusion, pain and eventually, organ failure.
For cities like Chicago, where temperatures regularly dip below zero, prolonged exposure can be fatal. According to Harvard Medical School researcher Michael Liu, 3,571 people in the U.S. died in 2022 from causes linked to cold weather.
So what is our community doing to help? And how can we do more to make a difference?
The number of shelters in the H-F area are extremely limited, meaning those in need often have to seek assistance in surrounding communities, such as Chicago Heights or Markham. Even though local organizations are working hard to make up for this loss of quantity, it can be challenging.
One such organization is Respond Now based in Chicago Heights, which provides immediate, short-term assistance to make sure families can meet their day-to-day needs. They also collaborate with shelters, outreach programs and volunteers to ensure people don’t fall through the cracks.
The group struggles to accommodate everyone’s needs in the winter according to Sandra Green Respond Now outreach manager, ”some of the biggest challenges we as an agency face is the ability to offer the people we encounter services to get them out of the cold, and to give them resources to move them forward,” she explained. “The number often is often more than we have the capabilities.”
To help, Respond Now frequently runs donation drives in the fall and winter.
“During the fall we have drives where we seek donations for warm winter items, coats, hats, gloves, as well as hand warmers,” Green said. “We always need and collect hygiene supplies
and winter items.”
Small actions like donating blankets, socks or non-perishable food, can mean the difference between comfort and suffering for someone on the streets.
We can’t single-handedly solve homelessness overnight, but we can make a difference. Volunteering at local shelters, donating warm clothing or even spreading awareness can provide life-saving support.
Winter is temporary. But for those experiencing homelessness, the struggle isn’t. The question isn’t just what is being done, but what more can we do?
