Extreme heat puts drain on homeless shelters' finances

Homeless people in the Roanoke Valley have sought cooler temperatures during this week's heat wave at shelters and other public indoor places.

The Roanoke Rescue Mission usually provides the homeless a place to lay their heads at night, but requires them to leave after breakfast.

But, as temperatures have risen, the Rescue Mission has been allowing about 20 "chronically homeless" to stay during the day, on recommendation of the mission's clinic.

"They are mostly sick and elderly," said Joy Sylvester-Johnson, shelter manager. "If they can't get to the day shelter [RAM House], we let them stay."

When the Rescue Mission clears out in the mornings, the homeless either make the almost two-mile journey to RAM House, Roanoke Area Ministries' day shelter, or work a day job. Tim Williams, shelter manager at RAM House, said 80 homeless people sought shelter from the heat that was "beating them down" Thursday -- an increase from the usual 60 to 70 he sees this time of the month.

"They leave in the morning for their jobs and things, but, after lunch, when the temperatures get hot, they come right back in," he said.

Williams also said contractors who hire some of the homeless people at RAM House for odd jobs have been declining to do so. He said, at the most, the contractors will recruit morning workers and then afternoon workers so the crew is not in the sun all day.

But Williams and Sylvester-Johnson said the heat has also put a financial drain on their facilities.

"People forget about the strain this [the hotter temperatures] puts on people who take care of big groups," Sylvester-Johnson said. "Our energy costs, just like private owners', have gone up, except multiply that by 300."

Williams said RAM House has seven air conditioners on the bottom floor where most of the people stay during the day.

"It's hard to keep this place cool with it being so hot," he said. "You can't cut them off, you just can't."

Williams said prayer is the only way the facility will pay this month's utility bills at RAM House because the day shelter is funded by public donations.