Persuading them to seek help is a constant challenge and the city and social service agencies are making a concerted effort this winter to reach out to them.
An empty hair salon in Suburban Station has been converted into the "Hub of Hope." It brings together in one place health-care providers and representatives of groups that provide help to the homeless and mentally ill.
"If we have this significant population in the concourse, then we should target significant resources in the concourse," said Marcella Maguire, head of homeless services for the city Department of Behavioral Health.
Last week, when the city conducted its quarterly count of homeless people on the streets, 188 individuals were sleeping in Suburban Station and the underground hallways around City Hall and the Broad Street subway line. That represented about half of the total street count in Center City.
Project H.O.M.E. and the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania staff the storefront in Suburban Station from 7 to 10 p.m. nightly.
Cubicles where hair stylists used to work now have desks.
Last Wednesday night, a trickle of homeless people came in. Some were curious. Some just wanted a free cup of coffee. Some needed medical attention and were directed to a back room where a nurse, nurse practitioner, and psychologist were stationed.
The medical team - volunteers from hospitals as well as the nonprofit Public Health Management Corp. - was available to treat basic medical problems like blistered feet, as well as to conduct psychological evaluations.
The Hub, funded with private and public money, will stay open until April.
