Though 48 bunk beds and 40 regular beds fill Harrington Hall, several mattresses still line the walls of this men's homeless shelter in Cranston, R.I.
The shelter has one microwave and a small vending machine with two Cokes in it, but no meals are currently served to residents. There are three bathrooms - their stalls without doors. A tiny Christmas tree with lights sits on a stage in front of the room.
After the state tore down Welcome Arnold, formerly Rhode Island's largest homeless shelter, many of the state's homeless have taken refuge at Harrington Hall, said Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless. The shelter's official capacity is 96, but on Tuesday night 120 people filled the hall, Ryczek said. That number is likely to increase as the weather gets colder, he added.
Each resident gets one blanket, which does not provide enough protection from the cold late at night, said a man who called himself Mitch. Mitch has been taking shelter at Harrington Hall for close to a year, he said.
"You take a shower after a lot of people, (you get a) cold shower," he said.
"(Harrington Hall) is a pretty brutal jungle," said Bill Bentley, director of planning and program development of the Urban League of Rhode Island. "You can't even get up to go to the bathroom because by the time you come back, someone has your bed."
Bentley said the Urban League currently runs the shelter, with only enough money to hire staff members and provide basic maintenance like sweeping and mopping.
The league cannot repair the building because the state, which owns it, is responsible for maintenance, Bentley said.
The shelter does not have case managers to help residents find housing or employment and to help those with substance abuse and mental health issues because it lacks funding and resources, Bentley said.
"(The state) should've torn down Harrington Hall (instead of) Welcome Arnold," Bentley said. "It was in much better shape: it had enough showers, bathrooms, privacy."
"It kills me that (Harrington Hall is) the only place we have for folks," said Noreen Shawcross, chief of housing and community development for the state. "It's hard to find a place for 100 people. It's a real challenge."
Earlier this year, the state cut funding that allowed the Urban League to provide dinner to Harrington Hall residents every night, Bentley said. Some residents bring their own food but often get into fights with others over the food.
"I've heard stories of guys fighting over candy bars," Bentley said.
Another resident, Roger, who also wouldn't provide his last name, said many residents have to choose between going to a meal site to get food and coming to the shelter to claim a bed.
"You have to claim (a bed) by a certain hour," he said.
Shawcross said there are viable solutions to the food problem such as a "self-service café" where residents can make their own sandwiches. Stores like Whole Foods and Panera Bread could be solicited to donate food, she said.
But Shawcross said community providers like the Urban League, the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless and residents themselves have to try to get food to Harrington Hall.
Bentley said there is a "lack of concern" at the state level.
"I guess the state doesn't think it has an obligation to feed people," he said.
Chris Mendez '10, coordinator of student group Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere, said he is part of a group that plans to contact several faith-based organizations in Rhode Island to bring food to Harrington Hall.
Currently, a non-profit volunteer group called Breadlines stops by the shelter every other Friday to drop off sandwiches, "bags with goodies" and clothes like socks, said Anne Pari, coordinator of the group.
Mendez said he would like to introduce and expand more programs like Breadlines to bring food and clothes to residents more frequently.
Mitch said the state's Adult Correctional Institution near Harrington Hall throws out enough food to feed him and the other residents three times a day.
"What would it take (for the state) to bring it here?" he said.
Roger, who is wheel-chair bound, said he hopes the state will try to remedy the situation at Harrington Hall.
"I have a blanket, thank God. People don't have blankets. But we have a Christmas tree," he said. "We feel like less than prisoners here."
