What were some of the circumstances in the better lodging houses for the street people?

In the best of the low lodging houses, the rooms were segregated by sex, with boys in one room and girls in another. Regular customers were allowed to stay free on Sunday nights. Soap and razors were provided. In some, each of the 200 to 300 residents paid a penny into a newspaper fund on Sunday. The host bought a Sunday paper for everyone with the funds, which would be read aloud by the host or an educated resident. Excess newspaper funds were used to support regular residents who became sick and unable to work