Housing the homeless seems to be a recurring issue with only temporary solutions. Millions of tax dollars have been devoted to homeless programs this year, but as the cold weather arrives, very few new beds are ready.
Gov. Dan McKee’s office announced one temporary measure Wednesday -- the Cranston Street Armory in Providence will be a warming center this winter to house individuals experiencing homelessness.
The armory would be a temporary, 24-hour warming station that would be available to individuals experiencing homelessness.
The governor’s deputy chief of staff says the administration wants to open it as soon as possible, but it could be weeks before it is ready to use.
A number of safety considerations have to be made first.
The state promiser there would be hundreds of beds for the homeless before Thanksgiving, but that didn’t happen.
“We fell short of that Thanksgiving deadline and this is one more thing that we’re going to do to get to the place that we need to be and that’s taking pressure off the shelter system and making sure that a range of options for folks to go into and making sure we’re helping folks get out of the cold on the coldest nights," said Deputy of Chief Kim Ahern.
Bruce Fields is one of the people living in a tent outside the state house since September.
"It could have been had a better response from the governor, you know being out here and everything else and hearing different people that we have to be out by the first, it’s kind of scary because we don’t know what’s going on," Fields told NBC 10 News.
The governor’s administration fed the homeless soup and sandwiches, inviting them inside for the Christmas tree lighting on Wednesday night.
Everyone was grateful, but as they sleep here in these wet, cold tents and with conversations circulating about the encampment being removed soon, they’re worried.
“No immediate plans for that we want to make sure that before we would do anything like that there’s options right and we’re working with street outreach teams to make sure that they offer supportive services but for tonight’s purposes we’ve invited everyone in and that includes the folks outside, Ahern said.
“I’m a vet and I come home and I don’t have anything," Fields said. "You know to have a vet out here spending time out here on the state lawn or state property is kind of irritating.”
The governor's office said they are working with different organizations to house individuals as soon as possible.