CRANSTON - In a vigil that began early Thursday morning, Brown students, homeless individuals and their advocates occupied the Welcome Arnold shelter in Cranston to protest its closure by the state.
The shelter was due to close at 7 a.m. Thursday in preparation for its demolition, making way for new state police barracks. The sit-in - which involved 10 Brown students and several advocates for the homeless - was organized by People to End Homelessness and had not ended as of Thursday evening.
The first students arrived at the shelter at 5:15 a.m., 15 minutes before the daily wake-up call at Welcome Arnold, said Geoff Gusoff '07.5, a member of Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere. At about 6:30 a.m. a full bus of Welcome Arnold residents left for Crossroads of Rhode Island in Providence, the designated overflow shelter for the time being, he said. Approximately 25 homeless stayed behind with the protestors to occupy the building.
"The idea is to use the building as a bargaining chip and to say the governor (Gov. Donald Carcieri '65) promised that it would not be closed until every person was accommodated. Because that was not the case, the idea was to make him stand up to his word," said Elizabeth Ochs '07.5, co-chair of HOPE.
"We will be occupying the building for as long as necessary," said Cathy Rhodes of People to End Homelessness, who organized the protest. She said she is encouraging any homeless people who had been housed at Welcome Arnold and who have received placement to go to their assigned destinations, as she is unsure how long they will be able to occupy the building.
Dennis Langley, director of the Urban League of Rhode Island, said he has operated the Welcome Arnold shelter since its opening 15 years ago. He stood outside to watch the last busload of residents go.
"It is appropriate for these individuals to have permanent housing - if we have permanent housing available for them," he said with tears in his eyes. "It's apparent that, based on the numbers that were are seeing right now, there is a lack of housing for many of these individuals."
Noreen Shawcross, head of the state's Office of Housing and Community Development, represented Carcieri at the protest and said the priority is to find housing for the homeless who have not yet been placed in alternative housing.
"We have a big job ahead of us today to make sure that everybody gets to where they need to go, and that we know who comes in looking for shelter that we haven't yet placed," she said. "Today, for me, is about working for the people one-on-one, who are homeless," she told The Herald.
Shawcross told the protestors, "When I leave this building today - giving someone a ride to one of the a lot of additional facilities, going out to Crossroads - my job is to focus on the people who are homeless and this building is no longer my responsibility."
But several homeless individuals at the protest told The Herald they do not think their concerns are being adequately addressed.
"I have been here for a month, and now they are closing?" said a former Welcome Arnold resident who asked to be identified as William. "My girlfriend is five-and-a-half months pregnant and there is no place for us to go together," he said.
"Because I am ... pregnant, my fiance wouldn't want me in another shelter where he wouldn't know where I was. What are the chances of us finding a shelter that puts men and women together?" William's girlfriend asked.
"This shelter is the only place 95 percent of us know," she added.
William said he is also concerned about overcrowding at Crossroads. He says the crowding of other homeless shelters after Welcome Arnold's closure will jeopardize his chances of getting into a housing program.
As of Thursday evening, police had not removed the protestors from Welcome Arnold and they had not been not asked to leave, Gusoff said.
"I think it is wonderful that students and homeless folks and advocates are here today to support these people, expressing their outrage in this protest," said Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless. "It's really sad that it's come to this," he added.
But, Shawcross said, there is little hope the protestors will achieve their aims.
"Keeping Welcome Arnold open wouldn't solve anything, it really wouldn't," Shawcross told camera crews and protestors in the building. "This building does have to close. We have done exactly what people who are homeless and their advocates have asked us to do. And yes, right now, today, we have to sort this thing out."
In response, Dave "Doc" St. Germain, a former Welcome Arnold resident, said the state's effort to house the displaced homeless through Operation First Step was appreciated but not enough.
"I just want to state for the record that all of the people who were in on this process - the coalition, to us, to the Brown students, everyone - has worked very hard to cooperate to make Operation First Step as successful as possible," he said. "But don't confuse cooperation and effort with approval."
Gusoff said if the state delayed the closure of Welcome Arnold by even a month, more housing for those who did not get a place to stay under Operation First Step could be found. He added that the warmer weather later in the spring could help those who are displaced, "rather than March 15, today, when it could be six degrees tomorrow, you don't know."
Jesse Reedy, 20, was one of the younger homeless occupying the building yesterday. He said he came to the shelter on Dec. 7 last year and has been sleeping at the Welcome Arnold and the Urban League since then.
"I think the best plan would be to do (Operation First Step) again, because there were obviously not enough beds," he said.
"It will take a couple of weeks to sort this out," Shawcross said to the crowd of homeless, protestors and advocates. "Change is always hard. But when all is said and done, this is going to be much better for everyone."
