PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- On a bitterly cold night, city and community leaders in Philadelphia are focused on making sure the homeless population is safe.
"It is brutal out there," said Cheryl Hill, the executive director of the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services. "It is below freezing."
The Office of Homeless Services declared another Code Blue in the city as of Sunday at 3 p.m.
Outreach teams are increasing their presence on the streets to encourage people living outdoors to head to one of the 20 warming centers.
Hill said there are about 3,500 beds available at shelters across the city, like the Bethesda Project's Our Brothers' Place.
"We really empathize with the reality of, 'Hey, these are not temperatures you can joke around with for some people.' Especially with questionable health, it could be death," said Kharisma Goldston, the director of shelter with the Bethesda Project.
Goldston said her shelter, which has operated in the city for more than 45 years, is currently at capacity.
Shawn Ricca is one of the 155 men staying there. He said he was thankful for a warm bed on this cold night.
"You're only out there for like 10 minutes and you're in trouble. It's just nice to have somewhere to be able to go," he told Action News.
Goldston said the Bethesda Project has expanded its capacity in the winter season to ensure it is meeting the needs of the homeless population in the city, especially in the freezing cold.
Dr. Kraftin Schreyer, the director of clinical operations at Temple University Hospital's emergency department, said in this weather, frostbite can affect exposed skin in a matter of minutes.
She said in a matter of hours, "We can start to see the effects on organs - kidneys, your brain, and eventually your heart."
According to Dr. Schreyer, Temple University Hospital's emergency department sees an increase in visits every time a Code Blue goes into effect in the city.
Across the city on Tuesday night, more than 400 volunteers will fan out on the streets, as well as in the shelters, subways and warming centers, for the Point-in-Time Count (PIT) to identify the number of people experiencing homelessness.
"We have volunteers coming from all over the city that are literally going to go out in the cold and help count the individuals who are unsheltered," Hill explained. "The count helps me identify the resources that we need and help us advocate with the city for what type of shelters are needed."
During the 2024 Point-In-Time Count, volunteers and city partners counted a total of 976 unsheltered persons, which was a 38% increase from 2023.
"Being out on the street ages you. So, someone who is 50 may have the health of someone who is 70. Imagine your 70-year-old grandmother out in the cold," said Hill.
The city says it has outreach workers are on standby to help the homeless in this cold weather, as well as the police and fire departments.
They are urging people to call the city's hotline at (215) 232-1984 if they see someone in the cold.
"In the event that you do that and no one responds, please call 911," said Hill.
Hill stressed that everyone has the right to say no to help, but she said outreach workers will try to convince them to seek shelter.
"Any person in Philadelphia can become outreach by just checking on your neighbor if you see them unsheltered and out in the cold," she said.