If the “great cold” plan has been activated in 22 departments in France, the “blue code” exists in New York. The city in the United States is currently home to 63,000 homeless, the highest since the Great Economic Depression of the 1930s.
The “blue code” is decided when the temperatures go negative (degrees Celsius), in the event of a storm, ice or if there is more than 15 centimeters of snow. In such moments, theoretically, the authorities make sure that no homeless are left in the street. The homeless department as well as the police department must come into contact with the most vulnerable. Normally, they have to make sure every four hours that the homeless are protected from the cold.
During the term of the “code blue”, homeless adults can go to any single shelter. Beds are available for all people brought by local teams. The reception centers remain open 24 hours a day. New Yorkers are encouraged to call emergency numbers in the event of a medical problem with a homeless person or the need to have access to a shelter.
Dozens of homeless people join shelters or reception centers in periods of extreme cold, but this is far from the majority, because many do not want reception homes, which they liken to prisons where they will be searched. These places are also often dirty, unsanitary and violent. It is not uncommon for the homeless to fight among themselves.
To make matters worse, the city, New York State and the federal government are struggling to coordinate to create brand-new new drop-in centers. Mayor Bill De Blasio announced a plan worth more than two billion euros to create 15,000 additional reception places, but the plan has hardly advanced since.
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