Homeless Duluthian Talks Winter Survival Needs

DULUTH - It is crunch time for the homeless in Duluth who are doing everything they can to prepare for the deep freeze of winter – and they need the community's help. From mental health issues, to past criminal records, everyone has a story about why they aren't sitting on the couch most people are sitting on every night. Here's one of those stories, as FOX 21's Dan Hanger reports."This used to be my front door, but I had to change it up. Actually, this will be my front door from now on," explained "Chris," 42, while showing his "home" that sits deep in the hills of Duluth.He's been camping out in the woods for nearly two years after his parents died and he had nowhere else to turn."People say, you're homeless, but I am not really homeless. I have a home. I have a place to go. It's just not up to code to everybody else," Chris said.He's honest and determined to make every day as humane as possible by installing solar-powered lights.And while he's proud of the extensive work done to his camp site, Chris doesn't kid himself and would love a one-bedroom apartment.But he's done some prison time in his younger days and has battled mental health issues his whole life -- leaving him without a job and no true home."It's like paranoia, ya know. I get paranoid that people are conspiring against me or something and I know they're not, but my brain doesn't," he explained."Chris isn't your stereotypical downtown -- what people think is your homeless alcoholic that's living on the streets downtown," explained Deb Holman, who is an outreach coordinator with the Human Development Center and CHUM.She says getting housing for single people who are homeless is beyond difficult."Even if we sign Chris up for housing, it's going to be over a year wait, so he's trying to do the best he can to survive out here and there's a lot of folks who are doing that," Holman said.For Chris, he gets $200 a month in government assistance. He says he uses it to wash clothes, take the bus and buy essentials; everything else is donations."Blankets -- actually, you wouldn't think would help but after it rains and its freezes, that becomes a giant wall. It's impregnable from the cold," Chris explained.If you have tips or are experiencing homelessness, call the outreach hotline at (218) 461-8505.  You can also click on the following links for more resources: CHUM, Human Development Center, Loaves and Fishes