WORCESTER ― Three people were arrested Wednesday night following a standoff with police at a homeless encampment outside the new emergency winter shelter at 611 Main St.
Early Wednesday morning, demonstrators began setting up tents and heaters in the parking lot of the shelter, protesting the lack of available space for the homeless population, particularly women, in the city.
The shelter, which opened Dec. 12, is run by South Middlesex Opportunity Council Inc. at the former location of the Registry of Motor Vehicles. It has 60 beds: 45 for men and 15 for women.
Worcester native Sathi Patel, a member of the newly formed local group Project Priceless, said this is not nearly enough.
“Project Priceless alone has 30 women homeless, surviving the sex trade, or living in the street economy who need a place to sleep at night and have been denied entry every day since the shelter opened,” she said.
Transgender people have also been turned away from the shelter, according to Patel and Jennifer Baze, a transgender woman.
Project Priceless was formed in October by members of SOS Worcester, a youth-run group that says it “exists to support the survival and self-determination of homeless youth and adults in our community.”
Brightly colored signs declaring the parking lot RMVillage and stating that homelessness is not a crime adorned the fence. Dome tents were arranged in two neat clusters, with heaters evenly spaced throughout, while a folding table held food and other supplies.
The stated goal of the encampment was to provide an alternative to the shelter, for those who had been turned away and those who said they did not feel safe there.
Receiving a bed for the night at the RMV shelter requires filling out an application then coming to the shelter every night, where beds are given on a first-come first-served basis.
“You keep showing up and every day that you do, your name gets higher on the list to get a bed that isn’t claimed,” said Patel.
At about 1:30 p.m., according to Patel, representatives from South Middlesex Opportunity Council stated that the demonstrators were trespassing and had to leave by 4 p.m. or come inside.
“We’ve increased capacity and offered everyone here the option to come inside,” said Tania Diduca, chief of staff at the shelter. She said anyone who couldn’t be accommodated would be referred to a South Middlesex Opportunity Council shelter on Queen Street.
None of the demonstrators accepted.
Many of them stated they felt unsafe in the shelters and that there were better conditions in the RMVillage.
“We’re not bothering anybody out here and of course we feel unsafe in there. … You don’t know who you’re ending up next to in there,” said Amanda Pelley.
“We decided we wanted to stay outside because we’re able to support each other’s needs and keep each other safe on our own terms,” said Patel.
Police later arrived and reiterated the shelter’s offer, explaining that there were 10 beds available on site.
The standoff continued until after 5 p.m., when Patel was arrested on charge of trespassing. A male demonstrator from SOS was arrested and charged with trespassing and resisting arrest, according to Worcester police spokesman Lt. Sean Murtha, while another man who was arrested after a brief foot chase is charged with assault and battery on a police officer.
Protesters moved to the sidewalk outside the parking lot, and the tents were dismantled. Some of the occupants, including Pelley, were allowed to collect their belongings.
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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Arrests after standoff outside emergency winter shelter in Worcester
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