Route to Recovery
A trip through the epicenters of the recession
Services for Providence homeless close to breaking point
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – After 24 consecutive months of rising demand for shelter beds, advocates say urgent action is needed to prevent the homeless from being left to fend for themselves in the bitter cold this winter.
“We may be close to breaking point,” said Jim Ryczek, executive director for the Rhode Island Coalition of the Homeless. “If we don’t get more beds soon, we’re going to be in trouble.”
Rhode Island is the smallest U.S. state and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. In September the rate hit 13 percent, above the national average of 9.8 percent and behind only Michigan and Nevada.
The loss of manufacturing and service industry jobs on top of the U.S. housing crisis has left some 7,000 people homeless in this state of around 1 million people, many of them with few prospects of finding work,
“There’s no work to be had and believe me I’ve tried to find it,” said Edward Therrien, 52, a chef with 30 years’ experience who ended up homeless in March of this year.
Even if there is work, members of the homeless community say that prejudice means that they are pushed to the back of the line.
“When people look at me they disapprove of me and won’t give me a job,” said Larry Engram, 58. A quiet, gentle-mannered man, Engram sweeps the floor and cleans the sheets seven days a week at Harrington Hall, a homeless shelter run by House of Hope Community Development Corp.
Already the weather is getting brisk, with frosty temperatures at night that make living rough an even less appealing prospect. This shelter has 88 beds, but House of Hope executive director Jean Johnson said the number of homeless men here sometimes tops 100. Those who arrive too late for a bed have to sit on metal chairs and sleep with their heads resting on long tables.
“All of our shelters are overflowing,” said Johnson. “We need to do something or I’m afraid we may see men freeze to death in the winter months.”
Many who turn up are working poor who have been pushed to the margins of society by the downturn, and are new to being homeless.
“More people are falling through the cracks,” Johnson said.
The Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless has tried to assess the shortage of beds in the Providence area and the tally stood at 156 as of late October.
“Those are only the people we have been able to count,” Ryczek said. “The real number is sure to be higher, we just don’t know by how much.”
In order to ease the overloaded shelters, the coalition is planning to the state government for emergency aid to fund another 100 beds.
But Megan Smith, 21, a student who helped form tent cities for the homeless in Providence earlier this year, said she fears even 100 beds may not be enough to keep up with the rising number of homeless people.
“Unemployment is set to keep rising and we’re expecting a second wave of foreclosures as people’s mortgages reset,” she said. “The real flood of people is yet to come.”
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23 comments so far
We have such a severe situation as this and yet Reuters posts a cover story about the rising number of billionares – go figure. I can remember vividly in 1992 ( after I had lost everything my wife and I had worked a decade to aquire ) being in Providence RI at the VA administration office as a last hope to see what if anything was available for a Navy Vet. On my way to the VA I can remember seeing several people standing out in the friezing weather with ” I WILL WORK FOR FOOD” signs. Yet at that time none of our leaders said we were in a recession – I know better. I ended up having a nervious breakdown and ended up in a physc ward – all because I could not find any job for the first time in my life. Every where I went there were so many applicants. If it were not for my father in law we would have been homeless. It has been seventeen years since that very difficult time and now I find myself in hard times again. My heart goes out to all of the people having a hard go of it right now. We have record numbers of people on food stamps and many many homeless men woman and children. Our leaders tell us the economy is recovering but the people down on their luck know this is a lie !! These are the same leaders that did not see any of this comming and who told us SUB PRIME was contained. With so many people hurting I am discusted that our Gov bailed out the bankers with OUR money. No one asked me if I thought there should be a bail out. I am angry that the wall street crowd are getting record bonuses. I am ashamed of my leaders for forsaking the people’s welfare for the sake of the big banks. I am looking forward to riots in the streets so that the people can take back OUR country.
- Posted by JIMI DWouldn’t it be loving if we could use some of the foreclosed homes to provide housing?
- Posted by 2Tim3:1-5This is absolutely terrifying to me–the possibility that scores of people–men, women, and children..families really– may freeze to death this winter because affordable housing just doesn’t exist. We need it.
- Posted by Student HI fully support the work of the Rhode Island Cohilition for the Homeless because not only are they achieving temporary solutions by gathering more beds for shelters this winter, but their long-term goal is to create afforable housing so that these people do not have to rely on and remain in shelters. If a non-profit organization like RICH can get this work done, why can’t the state? I know, I know…you say there’s just no money, but seriously…the situation is life or death for some of these people. Find the money. No American should have to freeze in the streets because of a dip in the economy..that’s just disgusting.
Every single 535 Congressmen and Senators should volunteer to work the shelter AND sleep there for a week. If they can’t provide the funding then they can at least lend a hand.
- Posted by David CrosbyGod bless our brothers and sisters who need a hand up. Please donate what you can to your local food pantry. “That which you do for the least of mine you also do for me.”
Americans are to blame for this crisis – the real origins of which lie in the origination of 401k programs in 1982 (under Reagan’s watch)!! The housing bubble really kicked off as people’s perception of wealth changed alongwith their spending habits. Wall Street was only to eager to fuel the markets but they may have killed the golden goose, but for the Fed’s feeble attempts to keep this market up. Its going to be yet another colossal failure. Wake Up America !!
- Posted by Patrick GanderI propose that we begin an organization that is comprised of those who are disgusted with how the financiers have preyed on Americans like Jackals. Any suggestions?
- Posted by csodak[...] 5) Services for Providence homeless close to breaking point [...]
- Posted by Important News - Nov. 20Student H: A very keen observation. The reason the government can’t get it done is bureaucracy. Government social programs are the worse use of our money. You are seeing first hand that non-profits can be much more successful at actually helping people. First off a much higher percent of each dollar they bring in will go towards their mission than taxes trickling down into a program. Additionally they can easily adjust to changing needs such as a colder than expected winter and higher than expected job loss. Imagine if you had some of your tax dollars back so that you could ‘vote’ for non-profit programs that were working by donating your money directly! We need smaller government and bigger hearts to take on the work of helping our poor, our sick, our down trodden!
- Posted by SteveThis is a terrible tragedy, but unfortunately our government doesn’t have money to help out the homeless. They are too busy handing it over to the millionaire and billionaire bankers.
- Posted by RonThere needs to be a stimulas for jobs now and not later. What happen to those national infrastructure projects?
We better use China as the role model because they have the muscle to get things done and hell with all the legislation halting or delaying actions.
We can do with a high speed train. China says do it while we have to consider some lizard might become extinct. China says build 3 times more roads while we have to spend years deciding what pothole has to be filled.
- Posted by Jethro MayhamThe government has to provide… The government must assign money… But where the money comes from? Yep you guessed right – taxes. Sure the taxes can be increased to help the jobless and homeless – but that increase can push some struggling businesses over the top and into the dump, resulting in more jobs lost and more homeless to house on taxpayer’s dime. This process will just feed on itself. Sales tax hike? People have cars, they’ll just drive to shop where the tax is lower, or order online where sales tax is 0 (zero, zip, none).
- Posted by AnonymousProperty tax hike? For many homeowners it can be the difference between struggling to pay mortgage and falling into foreclosure.
Another way is to cut other programs to free the money for homeless. What would you cut? Child care? Elderly care? Law enforcement? States and municipalities are already stretched to the limit, some (like CA or NJ) beyond the limit. And the federal budget under Obama already broke all records for deficit.
The right way to help the homeless is to fix the economy. Just send back all the illegal immigrants, and the jobs they work now will be available. Not exactly appealing jobs, but probably still preferable to no job at all, especially for homeless shelter residents. The extra benefit will be that most of the money paid for these jobs will be spent here, not sent to Mexico or elsewhere. And stop outsourcing. The same companies that are cutting jobs here, are simultaneously creating jobs in India and China. That’s where the role for the government is – to make sure that the stimulus stimulates the economy here in the USA, not somewhere else.
There should be a federal law which provides an affirmative defense against any local laws against breaking, entering, or trespassing any vacant lot or abandoned building, whenever the outdoor climate is colder, hotter, or wetter than certain standard limits, the defendant is homeless, and the number of beds is inadequate for a certain area.
- Posted by eternalsquireWhat we need is more direct spending on domestic programs that directly help those most affected by this poor ecomomy.. Before you say it:: NO more taxes on those earning under 250,000 .. a reduction even.. Yes, no more business taxes or sales taxes across the board..
Maybe::
(1) assign a percentage of the defense budget directly to these priorities.. even 1% would be 200-300 million a month at the current spending rates.. look at Iraq and Afganistan alone..
(2) ALL higher taxes, and maybe some roll-back of current rates should be achieved through rasing rates on those whom have profited most over the last decade or two.. Yes the richer Lower taxes below 100,000 and raise a lot above.. that is where the money has gone that has been drained from those who have worked hard only to face higher prices across thea board and less take-home pay.
(3) IF we need to increase sales taxes it should also be scaled to the amount of the purchase.. zero up to $10, then up from there .. a large purchase by those with limited resources could be easily “means tested” based on income and assets to be relieved of higher rates.
I would gladly scan a tax-discount card..
Yes, the rich have gotten richer, and for doing less..
- Posted by GlennGlobalization that was pushed by our leaders has been extremely good for the international corporations and consumers but extremely bad for the our workers, those who produce not only consume. There has been a divide between the interest of the corporation and the people. Manufacturing has gone elsewhere in the largest shift of wealth since the industrial revolution, from west to east and from north to south. Forget USAID and donor agencies, they dont make a difference but globalization have shifted jobs elsewhere. Now, we hit the wall. How to continue consuming when you dont produce, when ou dont earn revenues. there is nothing in sight that indicate a change. Things will get worse before they can get better. We need to produce, we need to earn revenues if we want to consume again. The world has changed, the USA is not the leading economy anymore. It is not the driving force for commodity prices. The world can now get by without the US drive.
- Posted by gil nadoMy heart just goes out to the homeless. It just feels like a situation that’s getting worst. But we has a people must rally together and put a helping hand in this situation. please donate to a food pantry, sponser a child, do anything. Always remember “one person can’t do everything, but every person can do something”. I hope and pray God blesses those who are going through diffcult times. “That which you do for the least of mine you also do for me.”
- Posted by IanWith all the foreclosed homes sitting empty and all of the unemployed construction workers, you would think that we could renovate or create affordable shelter.
But the rulers of this country don’t care about us, they only care about their rich friends.
- Posted by DelWhy doesn’t this shelter as for donations of lumber and build double and triple deck bunk beds to better utilize their space? Single occupancy cots seems like the worst possible layout of floor space.
- Posted by JimAmen JIMI D. And Jim ~ did you write them that idea? You should. Or hell, i will right now.
- Posted by natureboyThis problem is going to become so acute that we are going to have colonies of human beings living in the woods, and in rural, desolate areas that look and behave like zombies. The “Night of the Living Dead” coming to the woods near you.
None of the interests of the American people are being served by either of these political parties. Until people realize and accept that painful reality nothing will change.
The United States needs a second american revolution, because in 5 to 7 years the country will be lost. We will be lucky here on the east coast of th U.S. if the EU accepts us.
Thank could never happen, you say?
I think it is happening already.
And I say this in all respect and sincerity: I would be embarrased to preside over this wholesale human destruction. I really mean that.
What kind of leadership does this to their own people?
- Posted by phoenix1This is what you get, when the only thing that counts now for a big company, corporation or multinational, is to please the investors.
- Posted by Patrick Hohn- Outsourcing to make more revenue, even if it hurts the local economy
- Crazy rates of return needed, therefore increasing quick money through speculation
Why can we not follow a model that is more like a familial business, benefiting more the employees, instead of the investors (of whom speculation is the essence).
The possibility to sell and buy actions, was originally intended the same way as banks, to help companies growth, who in return pay back their loans. But it has turned into a blind force, bigger then any single country or military power, who’s only aim is to make more profit, at the detriments of the mass, everybody really, except a very few.
Maybe an example to follow would be the German company (Robert) Bosch GmbH (and no, they are not fascist or communist). He decided that his family company (known worldwide for the excellent tools and parts they make), should benefit its workers, therefore refused to go public on the exchange market, in order to grow NOT for the short term aims of investors but for its employees. All revenues are invested in research and acquisitions, and for employees health care. As long as you do your job properly, you can have security of employment for the rest of your life !!!
Maybe something to think about.
Here’s a way to fund homeless shelters and other services for those affected by the recession….stop paying for legislator’s health care costs (and other benefits) once they are out of office. How many jobs out there pay for your health care after you leave, especially pick up 100% of the cost? Just like the rest of us they should have the option of paying for COBRA, but my guess is that once they saw how much it is they wouldn’t! If this is a “government for the people, by the people”, then let the people vote for what benefits legislator’s should get, how stupid is our government to continue to allow legislator’s to continue voting for their own pay and benefits?
- Posted by EdBy the way, to help make the absurdity of this policy more clear, we (tax payers) pick up legislator’s health care costs for life, even after they are out of office, as well as that of their families! Those that retire from office should have retirement plans and benefits comparable to that of most American’s, but those that get voted out before retirement age should do what the rest of us do and find another job! My hope would be that they would then feel what the rest of us are feeling, but then again I’m sure many of them would seek “returns” from promises made to certain people while in office, the old “one hand washes the other” law of politics! I can’t say it enough – let the people vote on these types of matters!
- Posted by EdWhy is it that the incredible amount of money assigned to the Pentagon for the various wars and new military toys they want is never mentioned as a possible target for reduction? The U.S. spends more on military issues than the rest of the globe. Why? Is the country that paranoid? Why aren’t the citizens screaming and marching on the streets against the cash cow called the military?
- Posted by Rollie PIt has NEVER gained anything for the citizens and only causes deaths of their and our soldiers and civilians.
Pathetic but we get what we allow to happen.