This is sad in so many ways:
Madison - At 9 a.m. in the state Capitol on a recent weekday, with the temperature outside in the single digits, about 20 people gathered in the building's marble basement.
Some read papers, while others talked and sipped coffee, and one raucous group started dealing cards for a version of rummy.
Many homeless people find respite in the Capitol from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., spending their days in the basement where they can find a place to rest, socialize and regroup in the round room lined with tables and chairs. Their activities range from the practical, such as washing up in nearby restrooms, to the lighthearted, such as playing hacky sack.
On the recent day, some of them were coming off a rough night.
"Me and my sister slept outside last night," said 19-year-old Sherri Seitz, who noted that a shelter six blocks away was full by the time they arrived there. "I slept on a heating grate last night."
On days that are severely cold, snowy or rainy, 30 to 50 people will take shelter in the Madison landmark, said Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs. As the weather warms up, the numbers diminish, he said.
"They stop and sit down, they communicate with others who are in the area at a particular time, and pass through and, of course, when the Capitol closes, they move on to shelter facilities," Tubbs said.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/41472052.html
