“We had a guest last summer who was experiencing some really significant pulmonary issues — her breathing in particular.”

Jenissee Volpintesta, the supportive services director at the Cathedral Center homeless shelter, recounts a time when an elderly woman experiencing homelessness was gasping for air and struggling to breathe.

“It was clear she had a really hard life and hasn't had stability for a very long time,” Volpintesta said. “The life expectancy of someone who's experiencing homelessness, particularly being outdoors, is less than someone who hasn't had that same exposure.”

Volpintesta said they didn’t know the health issues of this woman because she had been in the shelter for only two days. She said they could only tell she was tired.

“It was really an emergency response not k

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