WEST SPRINGFIELD - As brutal cold chilled us to the bone and massive snowstorms repeatedly hit the region for the past month, one local homeless family sought shelter inside a U-Haul van.

But the elderly couple and a relative were arrested on Wednesday morning, charged with stealing the vehicle they had turned into a cramped home.

Police were called late Wednesday morning after a minor accident in a parking lot on Park Street, according to Capt. Robert E. Duffy, and determined the van had been reported stolen in Chicopee.

The driver, 71-year-old David Miller, was charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle, and so were Madeline Miller, 70, and Christine Miller, 32.

They allegedly rented the van and never returned it.

U-Haul offers a 9-foot cargo van that the company website describes as "perfect for students moving to college, studio apartments moves and smaller local deliveries."

For elderly adults, exposure to temperatures like those we've seen in recent weeks creates a much higher risk of hypothermia, heart attack, frostbite and other serious health problems than it does for younger people.

The homeless population in Massachusetts has grown much more quickly than every other state in the country, rising 40 percent since 2007.

There are a variety of resources for short-term shelter, food and career guidance throughout Western Massachusetts.

Friends of the Homeless at 769 Worthington St. in Springfield opens its doors to men at 5:30 p.m. The women's facility is at 755 Worthington St.

West Springfield does not have its own shelter, but it does have an open pantry at 1023 Main St., available to underprivileged people who can prove they live in town or in Agawam.