Don't give me shelter: city's homeless

Despite the early onset of freezing temperatures this year, homeless people are still unwilling to go to shelters, rescue workers said Thursday.

The highest daytime temperature was -1 C Thursday, with a forecast overnight low of -8 C, and temperatures are expected to drop further in the next few days.

The director of Chaoyang district's shelter, surnamed Zhang, said the most difficult part of their work is a lack of understanding from homeless people.

"Homeless people are unwilling to go to the shelters, because they are afraid they will be forced to either return home, or stay in the shelter in return for being accommodated and fed," said Zhang.

"They are free to choose whether they want to stay or leave the shelter," he said.

Beijing Municipal government released a statement Wednesday, saying they would strengthen efforts to aid the homeless in the city, the Beijing News reported Thursday. Night patrols by staff from the Beijing rescue center will be increased along with extra help given to homeless child beggars.

But when the Global Times reached Li Jing, the media officer of the Beijing Bureau of Civil Affairs, she said that there is no need to reinforce efforts to aid the homeless this winter, since the rescue work is being carried out as intensively as before.

"Now all rescue workers from homeless shelters are patrolling the streets all day, every day, offering food and shelter to homeless people," she said.

Homeless people are not obliged to go to shelters, said Li, as there are laws forbidding this.

The director of the homeless shelter in Mentougou district, surnamed Chen, said that in his experience, homeless people are mostly professional beggars.

Chen said that since Mentougou is not a prosperous or crowded area, they do not aid as many homeless people as in downtown districts.

"We've only rescued 187 homeless people this year. Homeless people are mostly beggars who need money, and Mentougou is not a target area," he said.

A downtown district such as Xicheng will probably rescue about 1,000 homeless people annually, so his shelter cannot compare in this respect, said Chen.

"We rescued three people this week, the same level as before," he noted.