NEW: Homelessness on the Rise in RI
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Rhode Island’s first emergency winter homeless shelter, Emmanuel House, opened today at a former day care operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. In a press conference held to mark the opening, The Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless as well as other homeless prevention advocates called on Governor Lincoln Chaffee to increase funding to homeless shelters statewide in light of a significant shortage of beds and resources for the upcoming winter season.
“There exists in Rhode Island a very urgent need for increased shelter space for those Rhode Islanders who have no place to live,” said Bishop Thomas J. Tobin. “This need for emergency shelter is a matter of health and well-being, of life and death for our neighbors in need. The faith community, non-profit agencies, corporations, individual citizens and in particular, state leadership, all have a critical role to play in responding to this crisis.”
There is a current deficit of approximately 273 shelter spaces for homeless Rhode Islanders, according to a September 28 Winter Shelter Assessment Point in Time Count. Though Rhode Island’s Emergency Winter Shelter Task Force has secured an additional 138 winter shelter spaces statewide, the sites are not funded for the duration of the winter season. The state's Emergency Winter Shelter Task Force has estimated that the current funding gap for the emergency winter shelters is $126, 071.
The latest homeless numbers indicate a six percent increase in homelessness from last year’s June to September count. Currently, over 191 individuals statewide are sleeping in the streets. Statistics show that 41% of those accessing Rhode Island’s shelters are families; 25% are children.
“These increases in homelessness are being driven by economic forces: unemployment, foreclosures and evictions,” said Dr. Eric Hirsch, Professor at Providence College and Chair of the Homeless Management Information System Committee. Hirsch also called the Point in Time count incomplete – unable to capture all those unsheltered around the state.
“It is morally wrong to allow people to die on our streets when it would cost very little to give them a warm, clean bed to sleep in. We need to provide emergency shelter now.”
High rates of unemployment and foreclosure have advocates fearing that the current system will continue to fall behind growing need. The United Way’s 211 Helpline found a 45% increase of callers seeking shelter and a 40% increase in those seeking assistance with a pending foreclosure situation.
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“Over the long run it will be most cost effective to provide permanent housing for those families and individuals who cannot access what is a very expensive rental housing market,” Hirsch said.
“A mat inside is better than sleeping outside, a bed is better than a mat, but a place of your own is the best of all!” said Jean Johnson, Executive Director of the House of Hope Community Development Corporation and provider for Harrington Hall, the state’s largest congregate shelter.
Increasing trends in homelessness also have advocates fearing a repeat of the “Tent Cities” erected across Providence several winters ago in response to a shortage of emergency shelter beds.
“When it happens once it is a crisis,” said Jim Ryczek, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless. “But when it continues to happen every year it has become a trend, and is evidence of a failure of public policy. Our Governor, and all our elected officials, must address this trend with a structural long-term solution not a every year band-aid.”
“Given the dramatic rise in the number of people calling us for help, this winter may be one of the worst we’ve ever seen,” said Anthony Maione, president & CEO, United Way of Rhode Island. “We’re speaking with hundreds of people each day, many of whom have never been in need before.”
The United Way is collecting donations that will be distributed to the various emergency winter shelters by the Emergency Winter Shelter Task Force. Donations can be made to the Winter ShelterFund and sent to the United Way of RI.
