Advocates for the unhoused press Mayor Smiley to halt encampment evictions
"This move is not only wrong, immoral, and irresponsible, but it will undoubtedly worsen the instability in my neighborhood," wrote City Councilmember Justin Roias in a statement.
Dozens of providers, advocates, and persons with lived experience are gathering at the Providence City Hall on Wednesday to oppose impending raids at two Providence encampments. [See: Providence Mayor Brett Smiley is evicting up to 85 people experiencing homelessness from three encampments] The evictions will displace close to seventy Rhode Islanders who already reside on the streets, have nowhere else to go, and will be forced to relocate to another unsheltered location. Advocates are calling for the Administration of Providence Mayor Brett Smiley to address the underlying issues of homelessness including shelter capacity and lack of affordable housing. [I interviewed Mayor Smiley about this here: Providence Mayor Smiley takes questions on unhoused encampment evictions]
“I'm here to endorse, support, and uplift the demands that were included in the letter from the coalition,” said Providence City Councilmember Miguel Sanchez (Ward 6), kicking off the press conference. “Outreach providers have signed on to that letter and I'm going to go over those six demands, speak on why I'm supporting them as a City Councilor, [explain] why I'm encouraging the mayor's office to support them, and advise and ask my colleagues on the city council to also endorse these demands.
Provide written thirty days’ notice of any action to be taken toward encampments and their residents in English and Spanish. [“We know how dire the housing crisis in the City of Providence is right now,” said Councilmember Sanchez. “I know folks in my neighborhood who have resources and are still struggling to find housing, so giving a 48-hour notice is completely unacceptable”.];
Identify another parcel of land where folks being displaced can relocate to;
Provide vans and trucks to move belongings to the new locations. [“These are people who have all of their stuff with them in their homes at these encampments,” noted Councilmember Sanchez.”];
Provide trash and temporary bathroom facilities at the new locations. [“I would demand that these services be provided to the existing encampments,” said Councilmember Sanchez. “Folks want these and have been asking city leaders for quite some time for the necessities to get by on a day-to-day basis.”];
Ensure that police adhere to the Homeless Bill of Rights, including and especially the right to a reasonable expectation of privacy (protection from search or seizure) of personal belongings, such as backpacks and tents. [“These folks are like any of us here that are citizens of this country,” said Councilmember Sanchez. “We have constitutional rights, and we want to ensure that those rights are protected.”; and,
No heavy equipment (bulldozers, brush grinders, etc.) shall operate on any property that has persons experiencing homelessness or street outreach workers located on it.
“As a city counselor, I'm begging the mayor's office to respect these demands and work with providers,” said Councilmember Sanchez. “We cannot tell people to move without having a livable and viable piece of land appropriated. This is only going to create a disaster. Folks’ lives are going to be at risk if we move people out. Right now, at least, providers can provide services - they know where folks are at.” Folks [at these encampments] have been taking care of each other for quite some time and we want to make sure that we take steps to keep addressing [their needs] and work with the administration to find that piece of appropriate land.”
Here’s the video:
“The decision to raid these encampments is counterproductive, shortsighted, and dangerous for those staying there,” said Kimberly Simmons, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness. “When I found out [about the impending eviction] all I could think was that we do not have some level of sensitivity around humans. These folks have no options so 72 hours’ notice might as well be two minutes. They have no options.
“When I was reading the interview with the mayor, I was shocked to find out that he could not answer where [those being evicted] were going to go. He did not even express a viable concern that he could express and say where they were going to go.”
Director Simmons read a statement from Providence City Councilmember Justin Roias (Ward 4):
“I strongly oppose the decision to shut down two of Providence's largest encampments while shelters remain at capacity. This move is not only wrong, immoral, and irresponsible, but it will undoubtedly worsen the instability in my neighborhood. We've already experienced the fallout from the closure of the Charles Street encampment, which led to the proliferation of new encampments in the North End as individuals dispersed. I urge the city administration to reconsider this decision. Give housing providers and encampment residents the time and support they need to transition to appropriate shelters. Rushing this closure will only worsen suffering and chaos for our unhoused neighbors and deepen neighborhood instability.”
“I've been doing outreach in the homeless community for over a year now and have a small project in one of the communities that are going to be disbanded next week,” said Karen Andes, Director of Brown University’s Master of Public Health Program and Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences. “I want to highlight that this is a violent process. This is state violence towards folks living in our jurisdiction. Removing people by police and bulldozers is not the way we want to treat people in Rhode Island. I'm a newcomer to Rhode Island. I've been here for a year and a half. I'm very compassionate with this particular population. I want to highlight that folks who are relocated lose a lot of the progress they've been able to make over recent months. We have a robust system of outreach here in Rhode Island.
“Lots of outreach workers who spend time in the encampments know folks. They know what they need, they bring IDs, bus passes, and everything folks need to survive daily. They bring water and food. The encampments are not unsustainable at this moment and it's an opportunity for Providence to take the high road and do something different. The homelessness problem in Rhode Island is not so expansive that it can't be managed and managed well. We need solutions that do not put people on the street or reverse the progress they've already made towards sustainable housing, and allow our outreach workers, who are giving a ton of care to folks, an opportunity to get them housed.”
“Listening to all these stories, something great needs to happen in this moment,” said Terri Wright from the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project. “Having a Rhode Island that cares for its residents - and not jails and hospitals - but relief in this current state of emergency that our homeless and unsheltered residents have been experiencing. This crisis is only getting worse without properly addressing the nature of this crisis and doing something about it.
Something good needs to happen in this moment and not the continuance of Providence Police raids of encampments. Not without healthy solutions, not without adequate shelter, and not without public safety for the homeless and unsheltered. Where do people go? The next street over, until the mayor or the governor gets a call? It's just time to break this cycle of hurt - of harm that's happening to our homeless and unsheltered people.
How do they live without a tent, without shelter, without a roof over their heads? Those are basic living necessities. Police raids of encampments will interrupt the lives of 70+ residents forced to live outdoors.
In the upcoming week something great needs to happen, like the passage of the revision of the Homeless Bill of Rights… I'm saying right now, get in the business of saving lives. Our unhoused residents are living in a state of emergency. With no tenant protections, this homeless crisis is only going to grow larger. To business owners, doctors, and teachers, these are your patients, your students, and your customers. You should be standing strong with us.”
“The City must work collaboratively with encampment residents and outreach providers in a manner that does not constantly displace Rhode Islanders without shelter,” said advocates in a statement.
