When Melissa Howard was a teenager, she told Department of Youth, Children, and Families (DCYF) officials that she didn’t want to go on Social Security Disability (SSI) – despite the fact that they thought she was eligible.

“I didn’t want that stigma attached to me,” said Howard, now 35 years old. At that time, Howard never thought that she would wind up homeless. But just a few years later, in the year 2000, she and the boyfriend she had been living with broke up, and she was on the street.

Howard lived the homeless lifestyle for about three years. She would stay with friends. She developed a serious alcohol problem. She huddled together with other homeless individuals to keep warm, and in some instances, sleep near buildings that omitted steam.

On the coldest nights, she relied on homeless shelters. For many homeless people this year, that will not be an option, says the Rhode Island Coalition For the Homeless. Saying the demand for shelter beds has already outpaced supply, advocates for the homeless called on Governor Donald Carcieri for help on Tuesday.

“As in any emergency situation that would befall a state, we, as citizens of the state, look to our Governor to exert leadership to address the crisis we are facing,” stated Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, in a press release. “We are not asking him to solve this problem alone, there are constituents and advocates who are eager to work with him to address the crisis, but we are asking him to acknowledge the problem and bring us all together to solve the problem – immediately.”

Ryczek said later that he appreciates the fact that Carcieri’s staff has already increased the amount of shelter beds by 88, but said that when they took a survey on Oct. 29, there was a shortage of 167 beds for homeless in shelters. Even with the additional 88 beds, Ryczek said, that still leaves a 79-bed deficit.

“This ain’t no regular shelter season,” said Ryczek.

Rhode Island shows a 64 percent increase in people accessing emergency shelter and transitional programs between October 2008 (925) and October of this year (1,518). And with temperatures getting colder, and those numbers expected increase further, we’re moving into a full-blown crisis situation, Ryczek said.

Amy Kempe, the governor’s spokeswoman, said the state continues to look for ways to increase its assistance to the homeless, and applauded the efforts of advocacy and faith groups to increase available shelter.

Kempe pointed out that the state of Massachusetts recently cut its shelter capacity by 500 beds. The fact that Rhode Island has increased its capacity by 88 beds, she said, shows the state has its priorities in the right place.

“I think that increase of 88 beds is a testament to … the office of Housing and Community Development and the collaborative work they’ve done with the Diocese of Providence, the Amos House, the United Way, and all of the other faith and social advocacy groups,” said Kempe. “We are always trying to increase our network to address the issue of reducing homelessness.”

Ryczek said that for many, the issue of homeless is foreign. Most people, he said, never believe that they could end up homeless.

“In this economy, with the foreclosures and the unemployment as high as it is, it only takes a few little tweaks before someone is put over the edge, so to speak, and winds up homeless,” he said. After three years living hand-to-mouth, and relying on friends, the kindness of strangers, shelter, and in some cases, luck, Howard was began receiving SSI in 2003. It took some time to process her application, and then she was denied.

Howard married another man who was homeless and had two children with him, now ages 8 and 9. They divorced a few years ago, and Howard now lives in Section 8 housing in Cumberland with her two children.

The money she receives from SSI is barely enough to cover her bills, she said, but she’s getting by.

“There are no extras. It’s rent, food, pay the bills, and that’s it,” said Howard.

Howard said that people don’t realize that minimum wage jobs are nearly impossible to survive on. To that end, Howard believes minimum wages need to be increased.

“When you have a job that pays minimum wage, you’re basically working homeless if you have no other support,” she said.

Going forward, Howard said her goal is to advocate for homeless people. Her dream she said, is to never hear of another person freezing to death due to homelessness, something she saw happen to a few of her friends.

“I want to help the homeless, as a way to pay forward what the state has done to help me,” said Howard.