At least 10 people have died outside in New York City's extreme cold, including a woman with dementia who wandered out of her apartment in Crown Heights. Doreen Ellis, 90, had previously gotten lost while walking short distances due to her dementia, but the current cold weather made it particularly hazardous.
Ellis was found dead in another building's backyard on Monday morning, wearing only her blue nightgown and a headscarf, with one sock and a small white shawl nearby. Her body temperature had dropped significantly from 95 degrees Fahrenheit to 65, officials said.
The city is urging New Yorkers to look out for their neighbors, especially those who are vulnerable to hypothermia, such as the elderly, homeless people, and those with health issues. The mayor's office has set up warming centers across the city where people can seek shelter during the extreme cold.
City medical examiners are still investigating the causes of death, but several cases had previous interactions with local homeless services. Outreach workers are focusing on a list of about 350 people at higher risk in the cold and checking on them every two hours.
The nonprofit Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless say that decades of systemic failure have eroded trust among homeless New Yorkers, making it difficult to access necessary services. They argue that permanent housing and rebuilt trust are needed to address the root causes of homelessness.
In response to the crisis, officials are boosting homeless outreach efforts, limiting overnight hospital discharges, and opening warming centers. Residents can find the closest center by calling 311 or visiting the city's website.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani emphasized that extreme weather is a public responsibility and urged residents to be on alert for their neighbors. He also warned of potential hazards such as frozen pipes, cars struggling to start, and icy roads.
The city has placed over 170 people living outside in shelters and indoor locations, but more needs to be done to address the root causes of homelessness and ensure that everyone has access to safe shelter during extreme weather events.
Ellis was found dead in another building's backyard on Monday morning, wearing only her blue nightgown and a headscarf, with one sock and a small white shawl nearby. Her body temperature had dropped significantly from 95 degrees Fahrenheit to 65, officials said.
The city is urging New Yorkers to look out for their neighbors, especially those who are vulnerable to hypothermia, such as the elderly, homeless people, and those with health issues. The mayor's office has set up warming centers across the city where people can seek shelter during the extreme cold.
City medical examiners are still investigating the causes of death, but several cases had previous interactions with local homeless services. Outreach workers are focusing on a list of about 350 people at higher risk in the cold and checking on them every two hours.
The nonprofit Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless say that decades of systemic failure have eroded trust among homeless New Yorkers, making it difficult to access necessary services. They argue that permanent housing and rebuilt trust are needed to address the root causes of homelessness.
In response to the crisis, officials are boosting homeless outreach efforts, limiting overnight hospital discharges, and opening warming centers. Residents can find the closest center by calling 311 or visiting the city's website.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani emphasized that extreme weather is a public responsibility and urged residents to be on alert for their neighbors. He also warned of potential hazards such as frozen pipes, cars struggling to start, and icy roads.
The city has placed over 170 people living outside in shelters and indoor locations, but more needs to be done to address the root causes of homelessness and ensure that everyone has access to safe shelter during extreme weather events.
This extreme cold snap is devastating, especially for those who are already struggling to cope with life on the streets. 10 people lost their lives in NYC alone - it's heartbreaking to think about Doreen Ellis wandering out of her apartment and ending up in another building's backyard. The system failure that has led to homelessness is a major issue here... decades of neglect have left many without trust, making it tough for them to access services. We need more than just warming centers & outreach efforts - we need permanent housing & built-in support systems! 
It's great that the city is taking steps to limit overnight hospital discharges & boosting outreach efforts, but let's be real, NYC has a long way to go in addressing the root causes of homelessness. We gotta do better for our most vulnerable citizens! 
... like, I can only imagine how scary it must be for someone with dementia like Doreen Ellis. She just wandered out of her apartment in the middle of winter and ended up freezing to death. It's heartbreaking 
.
. We need to do better than just setting up warming centers and expecting everything to be okay. We need to invest in permanent housing and rebuild those relationships.
. We need to hold our leaders accountable for finding solutions that work for everyone, not just those who are already struggling. Let's get some real change going on here! 
.
. And the fact that some of them have had previous interactions with services but still ended up in this situation is just frustrating 
.
. And poor Doreen Ellis, she had dementia and her body temperature dropped to 65 degrees... it's just heartbreaking 
. I'm all for looking out for our neighbors, especially those who are vulnerable, but we need to do more than just set up warming centers and hope for the best 
. We need permanent housing solutions, rebuilt trust with homeless services, and actual support for people struggling to access basic necessities... it's not that hard, guys 
. Can we please have a discussion about this instead of just rehashing the same old news? 
just another harsh winter in NYC and it's a tragedy what happened with Doreen Ellis... 90 yrs old and couldn't even take care of herself no wonder they call her dementia... 
she was so innocent 
but really it's been decades of systemic failure that led to this... permanent housing & rebuilding trust are the only solutions 
not just temporary warming centers 
i mean what's up with all these people dying outside? it's like we're not even taking care of each other in our own city 
we need more permanent housing options and a system that trusts people to access those services without being judged or turned away. and what about the people who don't even have access to heat in their own homes? 
but we need more than just sympathy we need real action and a plan to get people off the streets and into safe and warm places 
anyway, I guess it's a good thing the city is setting up warming centers and stuff, but like, shouldn't they've been doing that already? like, isn't this just basic humanity? 
seriously though, the city needs to step up their game and provide more permanent housing options for homeless folks. It's not just about throwing 'em a blanket and some soup 
They're saying it's a public responsibility but what about the root causes of homelessness? Like, how many people are really getting permanent housing? 
i no the city's tryna do somethin but more needs 2 be done. warming centers r a start but thats not gonna solve the root problem. 
just saw this news about those poor souls frozen to death outside in NYC's crazy cold snap... it's like, come on people! 
it's like, shouldn't we all have access to basic necessities?
and it couldve been prevented if there were more supportive services for seniors with dementia. the city is taking steps in the right direction but they need to do more, like permanent housing solutions and trust-building programs 
. we should all be looking out for our neighbors during extreme weather events 
. and dont even get me started on how homeless services work - decades of failin, erodin trust... like wut r we even doin here? need more shelters, more ppl lookin out 4 each other... this extreme weather aint just about the temp, its about our humanity 
350 people are just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more who need help 
People need to keep an eye on their elderly neighbors esp. those with dementia who can easily get lost or wander off in extreme cold 
