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California city deploys bizarre new ‘empowerment coats’ for the homeless ahead of El Niño
A Southern California faith group is distributing jackets that unfold into sleeping bags to help people sleeping outdoors cope with cold and rain. The effort comes as forecasters expect a potentially stormy El Niño winter, which could bring heavy rain and create risks for vulnerable people without shelter.
Convicted 4 Christ Ministries plans to give out about 200 coats and 700 tarps in northern San Diego County. More than 1,000 people were counted as experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the area in 2026; NOAA’s outlook favours wetter-than-average conditions across much of the southern US, including California, from December 2026 to February 2027.
In short
- Jackets unfold into sleeping bags for people sleeping outdoors.
- A group is distributing about 200 coats and 700 tarps.
- More than 1,000 people faced unsheltered homelessness in the area in 2026.
Explained simply
Convicted 4 Christ Ministries is a faith group in northern San Diego County, in Southern California. It plans to distribute coats that can unfold into sleeping bags, along with tarps, to people sleeping outdoors.
People without shelter are exposed to cold and rain, and wet weather can make those conditions harder to manage. More than 1,000 people in the area were counted as experiencing unsheltered homelessness in 2026.
El Niño is a natural climate pattern that can affect weather around the world. Forecasters expect wetter-than-average conditions in California and much of the southern US from December 2026 to February 2027, which could increase rain-related risks for people without shelter.