Homeless SQUAT RI State House, demand ``Affordable Housing

Tom Boland (wgcp@earthlink.net)
Wed, 24 Nov 1999 19:34:54 -0800 (PST) 

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Can anyone help the "Tent City" protesters in Providence, RI with recruits,
alliance building, publicity or supplies?  Pass the word for justice!

Organization: People to End Homelessness [Providence, RI, USA]
Contact Person: Catherine Rhodes - "mail.ids.net" <homey@ids.net>
Phone: (401) 464-8520
Fax: (401) 464-8301

http://newsfinder.arinet.com/fpweb/fp.dll/$stargeneral/htm/x_dv.htm/_ibyx/cg0302
6/_itox/starnet/_svc/news/_Id/625359481/_k/n2ApkYydYxBDwrTD
FWD  Associated Press - AP Wire Service - Nov 23, 1999 17:29
     [Providence, Rhode Island, USA]

     HOMELESS SHELTER OVERLFOW MAKES SLEEPING SPACE SCARCE

     By JULIE GOODMAN
     Associated Press Writer

(AP) _ There was an unusually warm November
breeze, a grand view of the city, and the morning's coffee and
doughnuts to look forward to. And if it weren't for the jarring
racket of a jackhammer, the outing could have masqueraded as a
camping trip.

That's what Catherine Rhodes and a small contingent of homeless
people experienced on their Statehouse lawn sleepover Monday night,
an effort that provided temporary housing for the night but also
served a last-minute ploy to draw attention to the state's
overcrowded shelters.

``We own this property cooperatively. If we need a place to
stay, this is the place we should be,'' said Rhodes, housing
coordinator for the People to End Homelessness, a men's shelter in
Providence.

Rhodes, who used to be homeless herself, helped pitch three
tents just outside the Capitol building. She also helped gather a
camp stove, a lantern, blankets, foam pads and a torn sheet
emblazoned with ``Affordable Housing Now!''

Then, a handful of homeless people, including one pregnant
woman, made the spot their home for the night.

The problem, Rhodes said, is that the shelters in the area have
overflowed. That means homeless people are spilling out onto the
streets and filling up social service agencies never designed to
take in overnight guests.

Advocates for the homeless say no one event triggered the
problem. Instead, it's the result of years of rising housing costs
and poor policy decisions just now catching up. And while
Providence attracts professionals to its revitalized downtown, the
area's homeless are still struggling with menial, part-time,
minimum-wage jobs.

Advocates also theorize that the recent influx into the city has
driven up housing costs for everyone, rendering affordable housing
virtually extinct.

There have been about 4,500 people in Rhode Island who were
homeless at one point over the year and sought out one of the
state's 570 beds. But until now, the number of people didn't exceed
the number of beds.

``This is the very first year that I've have seen the shelters
filled to the point where they're beginning to turn people away,''
said Fred A. Trapassi, Jr., of the Travelers Aid Society in
Providence.

Although Travelers Aid is open 24 hours a day, it is intended to
provide an array of daytime social services and not overnight
sleeping accommodations. But recently, that has changed.

``We knew that it was going to be a problem. We just didn't know
it was going to be that bad. We've had as many as 29 individuals
stay here overnight. That's just unheard of,'' Trapassi said.
``What happens at night when there are no beds available? You can't
put them out on the street.''

With no beds at the agency, those who wander in at night sleep
in chairs with their heads resting on tables. ``I think we're
starting to see the results of our policies on housing and the
homeless.''

And until policies change, the homeless will continue to use
whatever is available, including the places of last resort.

``This is it,'' he said of his agency. ``If you're not here,
you're in an abandoned building or a parked car.''

AP-ES-11-23-99 1828EST
Received  Id AP99327F90CDE8C on Nov 24 1999 09:09

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