Earlier this month, the formerly closed Charlesgate Nursing Center reopened its doors as the state’s first emergency temporary homeless shelter for homeless adults aged 55 and older. The shelter will start with 16 beds, aiming to host 40 adults by early March, and will be managed by Amos House, a homelessness support agency.
In October 2024, the R.I. Department of Housing “made a strategic decision to acquire this property to better position the state to address homelessness in the long term—and we are already seeing positive results,” Gov. Dan McKee said in a press release announcing the opening of the shelter.
The housing department awarded Amos House with around $1.2 million to fund operations at the shelter, which provides homeless adults with case management, meals, medical support and assistance with finding permanent housing.
The new shelter “addresses a critical gap in Rhode Island’s homelessness strategy,” Department of Housing spokesperson Emily Marshall wrote in email to The Herald, adding that “older adults are among the fastest growing population experiencing homelessness.”
The Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness’s 2024 Point-In-Time Count estimated that around one in five Rhode Islanders experiencing homelessness on a single night in January were aged 55 and older.
Eric Hirsch, a sociology professor at Providence College and the director of the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project, also noted that the needs of older people “differ from the middle-aged,” necessitating an increase in “specialized shelters.”
For instance, older adults are particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless because they are often on fixed incomes, like Social Security payments, Hirsch said.
Relying on a fixed income means the elderly are “typically not able to adjust their budget to large monthly rent increases or pay back arrears if they fall behind in rent,” said Jennifer Barrera, the chief strategy officer of the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness.
Marshall also explained that many available homes do not always meet the accessibility and mobility needs of older adults.
“This new program allows us to address the specific needs of this population and bring us closer to the goal that no one should have to live on the streets,” Eileen Hayes, president and CEO of Amos House, wrote in the press release.
Though the Charlesgate shelter is a promising short-term response, many agree that more permanent housing solutions are needed.
“Shelters are not the preferred model for addressing homelessness because they are temporary, lack privacy and often don’t welcome couples or pets,” said Rep. June Speakman (D-Bristol, Warren), who chairs the Rhode Island House Commission on Housing Affordability. “The preferred model is to provide permanent supportive housing with the support services that homeless Rhode Islanders need.”
“Under Gov. McKee’s leadership, promoting homeownership has become a key priority, particularly for low and moderate-income Rhode Islanders,” Marshall said, referencing the recent $120 million housing bond approved by voters in November.
In January, Gov. McKee also said that the state has financed nearly 1,300 shelter beds, a 60% increase from the start of his administration.
“We should be addressing the needs of older adults experiencing housing instability before they reach the point of eviction and unsheltered homelessness,” Barrera said.
For Hirsch, “the solution to this problem is permanent housing development.”
Pavani Durbhakula is a senior staff writer and photographer. She is a first-year from DC and plans to study IAPA and Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and searching for new coffee shops.
