Authorities say Asians may be among the four homeless who died in the cold on a single day this past week in San Jose, California.
Fox2 reports authorities describe three of the victims as Hispanic or Asian and at least 50 years of age.
“When it’s 30 degrees and 40 degrees at night for long stretches of time, this is how people die,” said Shaunn Cartwright, founder of the Unhoused Response Group or URG.
The San Jose Spotlight reports that in 2022 at least 246 homeless people died on Silicon Valley streets. More than half were minorities. 146 were seniors.
“We want to do something to bring awareness about the reality facing many unhoused people in the area,” Girish Shah of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, told the Spotlight. “People think unhoused people are drunks or all mentally ill, that’s not the case.”
About 70 people attended the annual memorial service for the homeless who died in the past year.
The county’s emergency risk communications says people without shelters should not try to survive the cold and rain.
“We encourage you to take shelter now, stay dry and get out of the cold,” Kia Xiong said to KRON.
The Roosevelt Community Center in San Jose is open all night.
During the day, they are encouraged to seek warmth at local libraries.
Below are area heat center locations:
Cupertino Library
10800 Torre Ave.
Cupertino, CA
Opening hours:
Tue, Dec 27 to Thu, Dec 29 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m
Gilroy Library
350 W. 6th St.,
Gilroy, CA
opening hours
Tue, Dec 27 to Wed, Dec 28 from 1pm to 9pm
Thursday, Dec. 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
Los Altos Library
13 S. San Antonio Street
Los Altos, CA
opening hours
Tue, Dec 27 to Thu, Dec 29 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m
Milpitas Library
160 N. Main St.
Milpitas, CA
opening hours
Tue, Dec 27 to Thu, Dec 29 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m
Morgan Hill Library
660 W. Main Avenue.
Morgan Hill
opening hours
Tue, Dec 27 to Wed, Dec 28 from 12pm to 9pm
Thursday, Dec. 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
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