WARM Center's new housing to give hope
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WESTERLY — The run-down old building that stood at 58 Spruce St., next door to the WARM Center, has been torn down and replaced with bright, new housing that the center plans to use to give a home, and hope, to those struggling.
Work is wrapping up on a transformation that began earlier this year, in the spring when demolition started. The new, two-story building will provide family housing units that will offer comfort, safety, and dignity for families in need.
The center is creating two three-bedroom apartments that will serve as transitional housing for families.
The initiative was one started by former longtime WARM Executive Director Russ Partridge and then was taken up by his successor, Jessica Mowry.
“Everyone that we’ve talked to and especially people in the neighborhood are really looking forward to having neighbors and to having this really wonderful structure where their wasn’t one previously,” she said. “Anything we can do as a community to end homelessness, especially among children, there’s a lot of enthusiasm for it.”
The former building had several different uses over its life, Mowry said, including as a flower shop.
“It had fallen into disrepair and come on the market. Russ put together a capital campaign and through some really generous investments and contributions, the community and some of our other partners were able to raise enough money for the renovation,” Mowry said. It was earlier this year that the WARM Center received a 2025 BlueAngel Community Health Grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island to go toward the renovation project.
Last week, crews were installing insulation and hanging drywall in the building, Mowry said.
“We’re really close,” she said.
WARM serves as a regional access point in Washington County for families who are in crisis. Calling 596-WARM can help them to access the center’s services.
“It’ll be a place for them to get back on their feet and settled and start to heal from whatever trauma they’ve been through that led to their homelessness,” Mowry said. Residents with income would contribute a percentage of it to rent and utilities, she said.
The center’s case management services can then help the residents with other goals, such as finding an apartment and stable income.
“It’s part of our vision to not only prevent and end homelessness, but also to leave the world and Spruce Street in Westerly in a better place than we found it,” Mowry said.
The new housing units are the latest in a long line of efforts by WARM to provide options to those trying to rebuild their lives.
The center’s emergency shelter at 56 Spruce St. provides year-round housing for adults experiencing homelessness. The shelter offers separate dormitory-style accommodations for men and women, giving guests a safe, structured environment while they work on next steps toward stability.
And the center’s Supportive Homes Program is designed to provide affordable housing opportunities for elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and families. The program includes six one-bedroom apartments at 54 Spruce St. and two multi-bedroom units on Pierce Street designed specifically for families.
