Record RI Homeless Up 30% Since Last July

By Irwin Becker

The number of homeless in shelters and transitional housing in Rhode Island increased in one year by a record thirty percent in July.

No wonder shelter leaders and housing advocates used such phrases as “unbelievable,” “scary” and “a record” at the early August meeting of the state Emergency Shelter Task Force. And they were only reacting to the June information.

The data showed that in July 2009, there were 1,052 homeless while in July, 2010 the number climbed to a record 1,402, according to information gathered by sociology Prof. Eric Hirsch of Providence College. And the increase was across the board for all groups–adults in families, children and single adults.
In fact, going back to January, 2008, when the recession started to have an impact, the current totals are all record highs in each category. Prof. Hirsch gave the current data to Street Sights shortly after the task force session.

At that meeting, the discussion centered on how the state plans to handle the surprise summer surge and have enough beds, vouchers and apartments for the unpredictable winter surge in demand.

Some funding for the winter is already in the new state budget which managed to avoid the more serious cuts in social programs, according to Susan Bodington, the task force chairperson. Five organizations have already been earmarked for the extra winter funds. They are: Amos House, Mental Health Association of Rhode Island, and WARM shelter of Westerly, each receiving $20,000. West Bay CAP will get a similar amount in vouchers and Harvest Community Church will receive $15,000.

But even with the added money, Bodington warned, “The number of beds we opened last year, we assume, will not be enough.” Expanded winter beds were between 75 and 81, according to various estimates by shelter operators and homeless advocates.

In the first six months of this year, using federal stimulus funds,, the state distributed $709,844.74 for financial assistance to 1,703 individuals , according to Darlene Price, the state’s Housing Commission Coordinator. The assistance came from a new recently enacted self-described government program called the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, which aims to reduce shelter use by creating space in new and renovated housing units tied to other social, health and income efforts.

It was also reported by Price that there is an increase in openings in supportive housing. Shelter Plus Care, which operates statewide, has 10 vouchers for people to stay out of shelters. Amos House has nine units for young families and single mothers on Brownell Street. Operation Stand Down has transitional units for up to 10 women and both the Bristol Public Housing Authority and Sandy Woods Farm in Tiverton, a families/single development, are both taking applications. And the Providence Center stabilization unit at Banister House has space for 16 persons dealing with drug or alcohol issues.

Part of the meeting included an extensive discussion of shelter issues, such as access, user rights and the need for early planning for cold weather that was presented by members of the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project and the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless. They argued for more “constituent involvement” in developing the rules and operations of the winter shelters.