by Steve Klamkin, WPRO News
There were 996 homeless people in Rhode Island last Wednesday, the date of the annual 'point in time' survey conducted for several years by advocates for the homeless. Of those, 156 were living outdoors.
"This is really, totally unacceptable that so many people are forced into the streets just before Christmas when the weather gets this cold," said Eric Hirsch, a sociology professor at Rhode Island College and Chairman of the Homeless Management Information System. He issued the results of the survey at a news conference Wednesday morning inside Harrington Hall, the cavernous men's shelter on the campus of the state's Howard Complex in Cranston, which was condemned for its living conditions by several speakers.
"The people in Guantanamo Bay have better accomondations than what you see here today," said state Senator John Tassoni, Jr. (D-Smithfield, North Smithfield).
"It's not right. So many animal shelters in Rhode Island have better accomodations for the animals than we do for human beings," Tassoni said. He and othes called on the Chafee administration to do more to fund efforts to curb homelessness, and to solve homelessness on a long-term basis.
A man introduced as "Robert" spoke, along with his girlfriend, identified only as "Christina". They said that they live in the woods beside the bike path in West Warwick, because they cannot find a shelter that will accept couples.
"We're one of the few that live in the woods," said Robert. "We stay out there because we can't come to a shelter and get split up. Or, I come to a shelter like this, I don't feel safe in a shelter like this," referring to Harrington Hall, which only houses men.
"This is not a good holiday season, I wish I could say it was," said Eileen Hayes, Co-chair of the Emergency Shelter Task Force and director of the Amos House social service agency in Providence.
"But, I know that there are people here are going to make sure that every single man, woman and child that they come into contact with at least gets to know that somebody cares about them. They do matter," said Hayes.
Video by Steve Klamkin:
