Homeless shelter for older adults opens in former Charlesgate nursing home in Providence
The former Charlesgate Nursing Center at 100 Randall St., Providence is shown in September 2024. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
The former Charlesgate Nursing Center in Providence reopened this week as the Rhode Island Department of Housing's first emergency shelter designed specifically for homeless adults aged 55 and up.
State officials announced Thursday the opening of 16 beds at the former nursing home at 100 Randall St., with plans to eventually house about 40 older adults there by March. The shelter is managed by Amos House, a Providence nonprofit social service agency that provides services in Rhode Island for people who are hungry, homeless and in crisis.
About 500 people aged 55 and older were counted across Rhode Island in 2024, according to an annual survey conducted by the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness last January. That represented roughly 20% of the 2,442 unhoused people counted last year.
'Last year, we 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 statement.
The state officially acquired the property last October for $6.9 million.
Unhoused people 55 and older will be selected to live in the building via referral through the state's Coordinated Entry System — a calling system designed to ensure people experiencing housing insecurity have 'fair and equal access' to shelter.
Those staying at the shelter will receive meals, case management, medical support, and assistance toward finding more stable housing.
Meet the woman in charge of ramping up housing production in Rhode Island
The state entered a contract with Amos House to operate the senior shelter on Oct. 1, 2024. Amos House will be paid $1.2 million to provide meals, case management, medical support, and housing location assistance through Sept. 30, 2025.
Under the agreement, Amos House is required to provide monthly performance measurement reports on the number of people receiving emergency shelter and how many have moved to more permanent housing.
'In the midst of our state's housing crisis, certain demographics are more vulnerable due to their specific housing needs,' Amos House President and CEO Eileen Hayes said in a statement. 'Many older adults needing emergency shelter can no longer live independently because of significant medical or behavioral health challenges.'
The state set out to acquire the former Charlesgate Nursing Center after its owner, Davenport Associates Ltd., closed the nursing home in May 2023, citing staffing shortages. Since its closure, the state has leased 57 rooms in the building to shelter families, with support services administered by Amos House.
The department's newest leader, Acting Secretary Deborah Goddard, told WJAR in January she agreed with using Charlesgate to shelter the homeless, but did not believe the state should own the building long-term.
She walked back those comments a day later.
'The state of Rhode Island made the appropriate decision to purchase Charlesgate in response to an urgent shelter demand and does not have any plans to sell the property,' Goddard told WJAR.
Goddard has served as acting housing director since Dec. 2. McKee wrote to the Rhode Island Senate on Nov. 24 requesting the chamber's advice and consent over her nomination. That request was formally placed in the Senate's journal on Jan. 28, but no hearing has yet been scheduled.
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That said, it would be a mistake to focus solely on a Dan McKee–Helena Foulkes rematch as the only scenario that could play out next year. If McKee decides to retire, other Democrats are sure to consider a run for the open seat — House Speaker Joe Shekarchi and Secretary of State Gregg Amore spring right to mind, but don't rule out others in such an altered landscape. Attorney General Peter Neronha continues to publicly mull a run, too, saying on this week's Newsmakers that he will make a final decision over the summer. As Joe Fleming noted to me, a multi-candidate primary field could be a boon to McKee if he decides to stay in; the multiplicity of candidates was the reason McKee only needed 33% of the vote to secure the Democratic nomination and a glide path to a full term in 2022. But other potential candidates are well aware of that dynamic, and with Foulkes likely to run no matter what, it would likely give them pause. All of this is already being avidly discussed by political insiders behind the scenes, and those conversations will only heat up once the legislative session comes to an end. 3. Gina Raimondo may want to run for president, but skeptics now have a fresh data point to make the case against her: the UNH poll has 77% of Rhode Island voters saying they definitely or probably don't want Raimondo to return as governor. 4. Other interesting findings from UNH … Senator Reed looks like a safe bet for another term, with 54% of voters saying he deserves reelection; only 33% of Massachusetts voters say the same about Senator Markey … opinions of President Trump are so locked in that his job approval rating has barely budged … one in four Rhode Island voters say no issue is more important than the housing crisis … just 15% say their household finances are better off compared with 12 months ago … there is majority support for 'banning the sale and manufacture of firearms with military-style features.' 5. AG Neronha's big health policy rollout on Wednesday had a number of interesting pieces, from a lawsuit against pharmacy benefit managers like CVS to a bill that would let him put financially distressed hospitals into receivership. But no part of the plan is getting more attention than his call for Rhode Island lawmakers to immediately raise the state Medicaid program's payment rates for primary care to equal what Medicare pays at the federal level. Neronha says a conservative estimate of the cost in state dollars is $50 million — not exactly Washington Bridge money, but still a big ask in a tight budget year. Under current rates, Neronha says, a commercial insurer in Rhode Island pays $200 for a PCP visit, while Medicare pays $100 and Medicaid pays just $37. 'Fixing it is not optional, so when we budget — even if it means going back to the drawing board — we've got to find this money for primary care in particular now or our system will fail. It will fail,' Neronha said on Newsmakers. 6. If AG Neronha's proposal to boost in Medicaid rates is the most immediate fix on offer to address Rhode Island's primary care crisis, the Senate's idea of establishing a public medical school at URI is the most long-term. A draft report was released Friday, laying out how much it could cost to get such a school up and running ($225 million) and how soon the first graduates might have their degrees (about a decade from now). More details in this story. 7. The push for a big investment in primary care goes on the list of issues to watch in the final weeks of the Assembly session. Lawmakers are currently a little behind last year's pace, when the House budget bill came out on May 31, but that's fairly typical for a non-election year when Assembly leaders aren't in as much of a rush to adjourn. There are signs things are moving, though. A revised version of the year's most high-profile bill, the Rhode Island Assault Weapons Ban Act, just got posted for a Tuesday vote in the House Judiciary Committee. And Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone's bill to expand online sports gambling options is up for a vote Monday. A fierce battle is being waged over the 'bottle bill' to create a deposit system for recycling, with a group called the Coalition for High Performance Recycling starting radio ads Monday urging lawmakers to pair it with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a policy opposed by some industry players. House Republicans are making a late push to repeal some energy mandates. Then there's the budget, with progressive groups putting on a full-court press to get lawmakers to raise taxes on upper-income earners to bring in some extra revenue. Speaker Shekarchi has been floating the possibility of having lawmakers come back in the fall if the tax hike doesn't make the budget and more money is needed. Lots to watch. 8. One smart Smith Hill observer on Friday pointed out to me a new dynamic when it comes to the timing of the end of session: the establishment of Juneteenth as a state holiday means there is now one fewer weekday in June to wrap up legislative business. 9. For all the talk about Rhode Island's (very real) fiscal challenges, the Wall Street rating agencies have strong faith in the state's ability and willingness to pay its bills. Fitch Ratings on Wednesday upgraded the state's bond rating, which the firm said 'reflects Rhode Island's declining long-term liability burden as a share of personal income, supported by improvements in debt management and growing financial relief from pension changes enacted more than a decade ago.' (S&P and Moody's have also maintained the state's credit rating.) A spokesperson for Governor McKee argued the move by Fitch vindicates 'the McKee administration's cautious and disciplined fiscal management, improved long-term liability outlook, and consistent use of conservative budgeting with strong spending controls.' That approach will be tested in the coming years, as deficits get worse and the pension fund's improving health increases pressure to boost retirement benefits. 10. There is always so much chatter about Peter Neronha's own political future that it can overshadow another big race involving the AG — next year's contest to succeed him. State Rep. Jason Knight, state Sen. Dawn Euer and state Rep. Bob Craven are all frequently mentioned as potential Democratic candidates. Neronha himself could influence the race if he decides to endorse a successor, though he said on Newsmakers he hasn't made up his mind about whether to do so, partly because he doesn't know who will run. Neronha did name two people he'd endorse 'in a heartbeat' if they jumped into the race — former U.S. Attorney Zach Cunha or Deputy AG Adi Goldstein — but so far neither one has indicated plans to jump in. 11. The field is set in the special election to replace the late Dominick Ruggerio representing Senate District 4 in North Providence and Providence. Our Ray Baccari has a breakdown here of the six candidates who filed by Friday's deadline. The primary election is July 8 and the special election is Aug. 5. 12. The House's 55-17 approval of the bill to let Providence raise taxes above the state limit suggests Mayor Smiley should eventually be able to get the measure through the Senate, too, though the slow timing in the upper chamber could jeopardize tax bills getting out on time. Meantime, if you think Providence's proposed 7.5% tax hike is high, Little Compton is seeking permission for an increase of 12%. 13 Next Friday is going to be a big day in the Washington Bridge saga. 14. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell — a newly minted South Coast resident since her move to Dartmouth — will hold a campaign fundraiser on Tuesday in New Bedford, per an invitation passed along by a Nesi's Notes tipster. A spokesperson didn't respond to inquiries about the event, but Campbell is up for reelection next year. Any effort to deepen her political ties in the region adds a little more intrigue to speculation that Campbell might someday be a candidate to succeed Congressman Keating. 15. They say there's always a Rhode Island angle, and that includes New Jersey's upcoming gubernatorial primary on June 10. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill appears to be the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, but one of her chief rivals, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, owns a $4 million oceanfront home in Narragansett (his wife's hometown). But Fulop isn't just another out-of-stater with a summer residence here like Taylor Swift. He made headlines in 2021 when The Boston Globe reported that he'd lambasted a member of the Town Council during a virtual meeting as Narragansett officials were considering whether to allow more public parking near his home. 16. People in the news … Brown University President Christina Paxson has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep her at the helm into 2028 … Congressman Auchincloss will be on 'Fox News Sunday' this weekend … Bob Rapoza has been nominated to the R.I. Board of Elections; he was previously the board's executive director … New Bridges for Haitian Success founder Bernard Georges has been nominated to the RIPTA board … the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Sarah Bratko has been nominated to the R.I. Convention Center Authority … former One Neighborhood Builders CEO Jennifer Hawkins will be the new chief executive of Avesta Housing in Maine … condolences to the family and friends of Belvoir Properties CEO Jim Winoker, who has died at age 93. 17. Weekend reads … Ellen Liberman on the problems facing Rhode Island nursing homes … Michelle San Miguel and Jeremy Bernfeld on fresh questions about inspections of the Washington Bridge … Patrick Anderson on the Superman Building state of play … Christopher Allen on the state's tourism strategy … Sam Graham-Felsen on the challenge of male friendship. 18. Fire up 12+ on your smart TV or set your DVRs: This week on Newsmakers — AG Neronha. Watch Sunday at 5:30 a.m. on WPRI 12 and 10 a.m. on Fox Providence, or listen on the radio Sunday at 6 p.m. on WPRO. You can also subscribe to Newsmakers as a podcast via Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you back here next Saturday. Ted Nesi (tnesi@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesi's Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Bluesky and Facebook. Prefer your Newsmakers on the go?Subscribe to our podcast!Apple | Spotify Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
