The seven-day forecast for the Wilmington area shows lows in the teens and 20s, with wind chill taking it down to single-digits on the coldest nights this weekend. And for those without access to shelter and heat, that can be deadly, according to Sally Learned, the executive director of the Brunswick Partnership for Housing. In her county, a lot of unhoused people live in encampments in the woods.
“Cold kills, and a lot of folks that are back in that situation are not in the best of health to begin with. So if you’re health compromised, or you’re elderly, or you’re a young child, say eight-month-old, sleeping in a car, and you’re facing a 15-degree night, cold kills,” she told WHQR.
Learned said she placed a family in a local warming shelter in just that situation — an infant and two parents, now staying at Brunswick County’s only warming shelter. She said the demand is probably there for more shelter, but it’s very spread out across the county…