CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. () – For unhoused people in Chatham County who aren’t near a shelter, options are somewhat limited, especially during cold weather.

Most of the resources in the county for unhoused people are only in Savannah, within a few miles of each other.

“We absolutely are seeing more people in what we would consider hidden areas where there are people who are not as seen and out in the public, in encampments, in wooded areas, in places that just aren’t necessarily easy to spot,” Jennifer Dulong, CEO and Executive Director of Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, said.

That’s why, on a frigid night like Thursday, the CSAH’s two vans they use to bring people to shelters are working overtime.

“It’s not just central to the city of Savannah. You can be anywhere in Chatham-Savannah and get access to those services. Part of the way we’re addressing that as a community is ensuring transportation access. Transportation is always going to be a barrier for an unhoused individual,” Dulong said.

However, there are only a finite number of available beds in shelters at any given time, and they’re relatively far for those who live in places outside Savannah.

News 3 asked Dulong about the possibility of building more shelters in those places.

“We have worked really hard on a five-year strategic plan through the interagency council on homelessness,” she said. “So, I’m quite certain, as that evolves, we will make those determinations to have bedspaces that are easier to get to.”

In the meantime, for those who are out of reach to bring inside, there are other options.

“That’s where those below-freezing sleeping bags, the wool socks, the coats, the beanies, the hand warmers, the foot warmers, ar least help them be comfortable making it through the night in the cold weather,” Dulong said.

If you would like to donate to Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, you can do that here or through Give Change that Counts.