CLEVELAND — Four tents for four men, erected as a memorial.
"You shouldn't have to leave this plane of existence to find a home," a mourner told those assembled for a vigil Monday.
All four died in Cleveland; all four were homeless.
"Over the years people have froze to death," Chris Knestrick explained. "This is not one of those cases, but it's concerning."
Knestrick is the executive director for the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, and four deaths in a matter of weeks are a big concern, considering he says Cleveland normally only has one such death a year. The expectation was to have an added on facility to the Lutheran Men's Shelter on Lakeside Avenue East, with Knestrick saying the county was responsible for that addition.
"It's not ready," he claimed, "and we're waiting to open up our full seasonal shelter capacity."
Meanwhile, the homeless tents keep popping up in the city, with Knestrick's team saying a shortage of affordable housing has forced more people onto to the streets. And its not getting any better.
3News reached out to the office of Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, which released a statement reading, in part, "Cuyahoga County is saddened to hear about the death of our unhoused residents. We continue to work closely with community partners to provide shelter and support services to protect our vulnerable population."
Of the shelter, they said, "Cuyahoga County is currently working on renovating 2020 Lakeside. We expect it to open in January."
Two of the men died on the streets of Cleveland, with the four's names being George, Joey, Russell and Nathan. The latter, Nathan Holloway, was a U.S. Marine veteran who died on Veterans Day.