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Whit Johnson ReportingThe General: "You get stuck out and you really don't got nowhere to go. You may be next."
Frigid temperatures are having deadly effects on the homeless community, but advocates are doing something about it.
Utah County has no homeless shelter and a few weeks ago the cold took a man's life. The homeless man had nowhere to go. That situation is about to change.
About a month ago Provo City planners approved the construction of a facility that would house the homeless. It's needed on a night like this; it's far too cold to survive without shelter.
For these men, stepping out into Utah's winter air is nothing new, but experience doesn't make it any easier.
The General: "When it's cold, it's next to impossible to keep warm."
If you're homeless, warmth is tough to find in Utah County.
The General, Homeless: "I lived in Salt Lake for a while and that's real bad, but at least they have two or three shelters there."
A little further south, past the Point of the Mountain, there are none. Some people can find temporary housing, but homeless for the most part are left to fend for themselves.
Dave, Former Homeless Person: "It's just sad. They end up walking around for days. A lot of them get so exhausted they come here, they can't even eat. And a lot of them just have to go to the hospital or they pass away or they just fade off somewhere."
Recently cold exposure killed a man in Utah County. And according to Brent Crane, the Food and Care Coalition Executive Director, there have been two similar deaths in the last three years.
Brent Crane, Food & Care Coalition: "To me, I look at it as an opportunity for the community to come together and solve it and I know there's a lot of people that are on that page."
They're almost there, plans are in place to open a homeless facility with more than 35 beds, but more money is needed and it's going to take support from the public.
Dave: "There's so much crime and people don't want to trust anybody anymore that really people that are good that need help can't get help and they don't have anywhere to go."
With more funding and support, planners hope to break ground on the homeless shelter by early summer.
