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Homeless in RI: How cold is too cold? UPDATED: 3 new shelters respond – no statewide shelter list
UPDATES in RED, BELOW
No, it wasn’t that cold last night. Or, was it? The iffy predictions of meteorologists said maybe 32 for a low – yet it was about 28. And it snowed. Turning to sleet. Turning to hard rain.
In Rhode Island there is no standard for when overnight shelters open and when they don’t. Some have said that temperature should be 30. Eric Hirsch, homeless advocate, suggested a temp of 30, counting for wind chill, too.
Has anyone asked the homeless what they think about when cold is too cold, when it’s unbearable, when you can’t feel your fingers or toes?
Last weekend, RINewsToday spent hours calling around, getting the info, and producing a list. That’s when it was learned that the DaVinci Center, doing yeoman’s work for weeks, had to close. The Center had opened after the Providence City Council chambers had been used in an emergency.
Of course someone living in an encampment or other location needs to get that information to be really doing an effective job. Simply compiling it and printing it online is only servicing ourselves, not necessarily those living on the street. We heard that in Providence, EMTs from Providence Fire took it on themselves to go to where the homeless were known to be and to let them know about locations – primarily, when it was the DaVinci Center.
The DaVinci Center has closed as an overnight shelter. Another, in West Warwick – their Civic Center – opened sporadically – and is/was a great mid-state resource for those needing emergency shelter.
This weekend, about 15 people showed up in West Warwick – holding signs to please open up. They were unaware that they had closed. The photos at the top of this article are from people inside at the local HEZ program in town, before they had to close.
NEW!
Advocates saw what was happening and calls were made – including by RINewsToday and Vin Marzullo, advocate for a coordinating system for shelters. Funding was an issue – staffing was an issue. The compassion of the town officials, including Fire Chief Jeff Varone was laudable. By the end of the night we heard that the Civic Center had opened for the night.
Going into this week with a severe drop in temperature expected – including windchills on Monday of 10 degrees below zero – and the system is fragmented and inadequate. With school vacation, the WW Civic Center is occupied with family activities. The town is looking for another location. As we publish on Sunday, that location has not yet been identified.
Kudos to Wendy Boudreau at the West Warwick HEZ program, along with Chief Varone, as well as WW Town Council President David Gosselin and VP Maribeth Williamson, along with the Town Manager.
Keeper of the list:
No one is the official keeper of the overnight emergency shelter list – or the warming center (usually daytimes into some early evening closures) list. That information appears in a scattered fashion. Online. On social media. Word of mouth. With all the agencies charged with serving the homeless, it would make sense for ONE to have that in their charge.
The first list as posted by the RI Emergency Management Agency:
This is the list posted by the RI Department on Housing:
This is the list provided by the RI Coalition to End Homelessness:
RINewsToday compiled a list and added some locations and resources – this is not complete – particularly as Newport County and the East Bay are concerned:
Providence Rescue Mission: 627 Cranston St
Barrington Public Safety Building: 100 Federal Rd
East Greenwich Police Community Room: 176 First Ave.
Jamestown Police Station: 250 Conanicus Ave
Pawtucket Police Lobby: 121 Roosevelt Ave.
Warren Police – 1 Joyce Street
Woonsocket Police Lobby Area: 242 Clinton St.
Other cities: Call local police depts.
NEW – UPDATED – East Providence shelter opens (until further notice):
NEW – UPDATED – for Newport residents:
During the day most public libraries are open and can be used to come in out of the cold. Cold weather does not take a break on the weekend – so if libraries are closed, people can use the malls, or other public locations that may be open.
With bitter cold – in the teens with windchills below zero – will the Rhode Island agencies step up to address the situation – or will another Rico freeze to death mere yards away from a housing program?
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Washington, DC has a comprehensive policy including specific criteria for Hypothermia Alerts and Cold Weather Emergencies, as well as a notification system with a map of participating facilities.
https://dhs.dc.gov/extremeweather
Its is so disgraceful how those who have the ability to make change refuse to. They knowingly
do not offer solutions that will house our sisters and brothers. They go to bed at night with our friends sleeping outside in freezing weather. The City and State has abandoned buildings but there is always an excuse. There are solutions but no one wants to offer them. Meetings upon meetings and more meeting. WTF get over yourself and do the right thing, STOP THE MADNESS OF NOT HOUSING OUR FRIENDS. I ask any one who cares to please join our zoom meeting next Monday February 24th at 6pm Please come prepare to talk about ways you can help. We all can make a difference.
Please forward your email to [email protected] and we will send you an invitation.
There are so many ways you can help little and big and we need everyone. YOU are the HOME for our friends.
Please if you have any suggestions or questions, email us at the email above.
We must take care of our sisters and brother BECAUSE THE STATE AND CITY DOESN’T!!!
Thank you
Janice Luongo,
Editor
Janice – you work so hard on behalf of the homeless – something needs to change in this system. We had plans yesterday and when we learned about the WW situation, everything stopped and 3 hours later we had at least some success. WW Fire and Police could not be more compassionate but now the Center is for school vacation week and they are scrambling – not sure if they will find anything in the area.
Oh, we updated to include the MLK Center in Newport, too.
Thank you for this reporting. Monday 2/17 is a holiday and Community Libraries are closed.
The forecast today and this week is freezing rain, cold rain, high winds and lows Monday through Friday in the teens and low 20s. Hypothermia is not determined by a temperature around freezing. Having damp or wet clothes at 40 degrees will cause hypothermia and death if not immediately treated. There are hundreds of unsheltered homeless in Rhode Island homeless right now. Today is going to be horrific for them. Some will try to hunker down in their tents all day and night. But this week could kill them. We’re in a public health emergency. WE NEED GOVERNOR MCKEE TO DECLARE IT AND PUT INTO ACTION STATE AGENCIES LIKE RIEMA TO SAVE LIVES. Otherwise there will be many more Rico stories that will haunt us.
Just added MLK Center in Newport – they made the decision after a faux pas in local reporting that they were a warming center for overnights – after they saw the people come to them – so now they are opening, upon need, every night, through March.
Without DaVinci and WW Civic Center has to close because next week is full of school vacation activities – this is truly a crisis. WW Fire Chief doing his best to find another location – of course y’all need an insurance binder, etc.
solving affordable housing is the issue that floats all boats
we are looking to see if we can use some empty buildings in our corp park in middletown to help with this issue
then, if so we would seek funding from sources such as senator reed
perhaps this technique exists elsewhere
I understand the RI Department on Housing provided funding for the overnight locations – of course it’s a holiday tomorrow and they may be hard to reach – call into the Gov’s office. MLK Center in Newport is also open through March – we just updated our article.