What happens to homeless Cincinnatians when winter comes?

For the anti-poverty organizations that help and house the homeless in Cincinnati, spring might have been the easy part.

Local leaders, including Strategies to End Homelessness president Kevin Finn and Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition director Josh Spring, said Wednesday they’ll need help from the government to continue ensuring unhoused Cincinnatians have safe places to shelter from the cold.

MCKEEAND I'M TANYA O'ROURKE.FIRST TONIGHT -- HOMELESSADVOCATES SAY THEY ARE WORRIEDABOUT THIS UPCOMINGCOMBINATION:THE PANDEMIC --AND COLDER CONDITIONS.SINCE THE START OF THEPANDEMIC -- AREA HOMELESSSHELTERS HAVE EXPANDED INTOHOTELS AND MOTELS.

IT GIVESPEOPLE A SAFE PLACE TO STAYWHILE ENSURING THEY'RESOCIALLY DISTANCED.BUT THAT'SEXPECTED TO BE MORE DIFFICULTTO DO IN THE WINTER MONTHS.ANDAS REPORTER MARIEL CARBONEEXPLAINS -- THEY WANT A PLANPUT IN PLACE NOW.TAKE LKL: MARIEL: "EALIERTHIS MONTH, THE HOMELESSCOALITION ESTIMATED THATBETWEEN 450 AND 600 PEOPLE ARELIVING ON THE STREET INCINCINNATI RIGHT NOW.

IT'S ANUMBER THE COALITION EXPECTSWILL INCREASE, AT A TIME WHENSHELTER CAPACITY, ISSIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED." PACK:BECAUSE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING,AND CAPACITY ISSUES: KEVINFINN/PRESIDENT STRATEGIES TOEND HOMELESSNESS "The shelterscannot operate as usual.." ANDAS THE SEASONS TURN..

KEVINFINN/PRESIDENT STRATEGIES TOEND HOMELESSNESS "That's asituation that will get worseas the weather gets colder."AND THERE'S MORE.

NORMALLY,EMERGENCY SHELTERING FOR THEHOMELESS FOCUSES ON THEEVENING HOURS.

THIS YEAR, SOUPKITCHENS AND LIBRARIES- WHERETHE HOMELESS OFTEN CONGREGATEDURING THE DAY TO STAY WARM-ARE ALSO LIMITING PEOPLEINSIDE: KEVIN FINN/PRESIDENTSTRATEGIES TO END HOMELESSNESS"we may literally have asituation where people couldbe freezing to death during."IT'S WHY KEVIN FINN, PRESIDENTOF STRATEGIES TO ENDHOMELESSNESS, SAYS WINTERPLANS NEED TO BE MADE NOW.INCLUDING DIRECTION BY THECITY ON HOW TO SPEND MILLIONSOF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING.KEVIN FINN/PRESIDENTSTRATEGIES TO END HOMELESSNESS"We've been trying to get someof these decisions made abouthow dollars would be used,since April.

And we're stillwaiting." THE CITY WAS AWARDEDABOUT 7.5 MILLION DOLLARS INCARES ACT MONEY TO ADDRESSHOMELESSNESS BACK IN APRIL.

4MILLION OF THAT, HASN'T BEENALLOCATED YET.

UNDER COUNCILMAN DAVID MANN'S DIRECTION,CITY ADMINISTRATION ISDEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONSRIGHT NOW.

THOSE WILL BEPRESENTED TO THE CITY MANAGERTHIS WEEK.

WHICH, WILL COMEBACK TO COUNCIL FOR A VOTE.JOSH SPRING/EXECUTIVE DIRECTORGREATER CINCINNATI HOMELESSCOALITION "If we have anychance of moving people offthe streets before the wintermonths, we've got to move now."JOSH SPRING- EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR OF THE HOMELESSCOALITION- SAYS THE PLAN NEEDSTO INCLUDE FUNDING FORTRADITIONAL SHELTERS ANDWINTER SHELTERS.

BUT ALSO,EXPANDED SPACES LIKE HOTELSAND MOTELS.

JOSHSPRING/EXECUTIVE DIRECTORGREATER CINCINNATI HOMELESSCOALITION "If we don't takesignificant action, thiswinter could be reallyhorrific." A HORRIFIC POSITIONTHAT MAY ONLY GET WORSE, ASTHE MONTHS GO ON.

KEVINFINN/PRESIDENT STRATEGIES TOEND HOMELESSNESS "We'restaring at a huge cliff inJanuary.

Right now there is alarge amount of CARES Actfunding for evictionprevention through HamiltonCounty, and there's also aneviction moratorium.

Both ofthose expire December 31."MARIEL:"AND FINN HOPES THECITY HAS A SOLID PLAN IN PLACEBY NOVEMBER 1.

THAT WAYSHELTERS CAN BE PREPARED TOOPEN FOR ADDITIONAL CAPACITYIF NEED BE, BY MID DECEMBER.MARIEL CARBON, WCPO NINE NE