Photo by ultraclay!

Now that hypothermia season has truly hit the city, District homeless shelters are starting to feel the shock of the Fenty administration’s $12 million cut to homeless services.

Amy D’Onofrio and Gabrielle Bluestone, news editors of the GW Hatchet, have a feature today on how budget cuts have affected services for the homeless in the District. The effect was supposed to be negligible: The Fenty administration pledged that there would be beds sufficient for the city’s homeless population, after the budget cuts provoked an outcry from homeless advocates. But with the controversial 2008 closing of Franklin Shelter and with budget cuts eliminating funding for two street-outreach staff at Rachael’s Women’s Center, there is increased strain on downtown shelters — particularly Miriam’s Kitchen, whose director cites a “lack of resources.”

WAMU’s Mana Rabiee further reports on the city’s ’round-the-clock hypothermia services — or lack thereof. Though the city is required by the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005 to provide hypothermia assistance to those in need when it’s 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below outside, it’s still quite chilly when the temperature reads 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Many nonprofit and religious charities operate shelters that provide hypothermia assistance only at night. The need for 24-hour assistance — such as that provided by the Federal City Shelter or the outreach care previously provided by Rachael’s Women’s Center — increases as the temperature (and budget) plunges.