Homeless Shelters at Capacity, Forced to Turn People Away

DULUTH - An estimated 200 Duluthians will sleep outside on any given night, and local homeless shelters are turning people away because they simply don't have room. Volunteers with Loaves and Fishes say this weekend detox was full and police were dropping intoxicated people who are homeless at the shelter. They were forced to turn them away because the shelters are sober and there wasn't enough space."If you have a home and you go out and you drink a little bit too much you can always go home,” Loaves and Fishes community member Joel Kilgour explained. “If you don't have a home, detox is your only option, and if their doors are closed you're out on the streets because the shelters are sober places." Volunteers say the rate of homeless people coming in is similar to what they see during the winter and they're worried about what's to come. The group is currently preparing for Project Homeless Connect taking place on Oct. 15. For more information on the event and how you can get involved, click here. If you know someone who is homeless and needs help you can call the 24-hour outreach hotline at 218-461-8505