Baltimore City’s homeless citizens — possibly as many as 2,000 people on any given night — are facing increasingly difficult and potentially life-threatening conditions as December brings freezing temperatures and the kind of icy precipitation we’re experiencing today.
A number of factors contribute to homelessness: A lack of affordable housing, job insecurity, disabilities, and chronic illnesses including substance abuse and mental illness.
Homelessness in Baltimore has surged. In a recent census, the city’s outreach team encountered 26% more people experiencing homelessness compared to last year.
Ernestina Simmons is the director of the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services. She joins us in Studio A.
