Advocates press Governor McKee to declare a state of emergency due to unsheltered homelessness

"As of the end of March 2024, Rhode Island had 2089 people experiencing homelessness. 1,560 in emergency shelters and 529 living outside..."

Over thirty people, many currently experiencing homelessness as well as advocates representing many groups gathered at the Rhode Island State House to deliver a petition to Governor Daniel McKee asking him to declare a State of Emergency due to the state’s Unsheltered and Unhoused Crisis. The petition called upon the Governor to:

1. Increase the number of year-round 24-hour quality shelter beds with wrap-around social services and effective processes to quickly move people and families into permanent housing;

2. Expedite the use of the State of Rhode Island and municipal resources, including land and buildings, to provide shelter beds and permanent housing; and,

3. Make available emergency response funding for this human-caused disaster that is comparable to what is made available when people are displaced by natural disasters.

The Governor’s staff did not want the group to go up to the second floor, where the Governor has his office. They were intercepted by David Barricelli, Jr., Governor McKee’s Director of Constituent Services, who was insistent that the group go into his office on the first floor. He spoke with Professor Eric Hirsch, who heads up RIHAP, the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project.

David Barricelli, Jr.: What can I do for you?

Eric Hirsch: We're delivering a petition to Governor McKee about unsheltered homelessness in the state and the fact that the number of unsheltered people has been in the hundreds for years now. We'd like the governor to declare a state of emergency so we can cut through the barriers that are preventing us from opening shelter beds and creating permanent housing.

David Barricelli, Jr.: Sure. Do you have a letter?

Eric Hirsch: We have that stack of petitions right there.

David Barricelli, Jr.: Do you want to come down to my place [on the first floor of the State House north side]?

Eric Hirsch: We're hoping to be outside the Governor's office [on the second floor of the State House House south side.]

David Barricelli, Jr.: My office is the public office for every constituent that comes in - male or female - whatever situations they have. We welcome people. It's a small office, but you can come on down and I'll be happy to help you. I'll take down some information and we'll do what we always do, which is provide data points for the governor. Obviously, [homelessness] is a data point he's aware of. Usually, daily or weekly, I give him a report on what's happening, who's come in, and what they want. So let's sit down and figure out what we can do.

Eric Hirsch: We want to be outside the governor's office.

David Barricelli, Jr.: Well, I am - we are - the governor's office. We are. Technically, any constituent that comes off the street or tries to make an appointment, we handle all that.

Eric Hirsch: We prefer to be outside his office [second floor]. We understand we probably won't be able to get into his office.

David Barricelli, Jr.: Okay. Let's take a walk down to his public office [first floor] and we can try, I don't have a lot of room, but I'm happy to meet ...

Eric Hirsch: That's the constituent office. That's not the governor's office. We're going to stand outside of the governor's office in that [second floor] corridor.

David Barricelli, Jr.: I have an office, right here [first floor] where everyone who comes to see the governor...

Eric Hirsch: We understand what your office is.

David Barricelli, Jr.: I am the governor's office. I'm not sure if the governor is even here, so...

Eric Hirsch: I understand he might not be here.

David Barricelli, Jr.: I'm willing to help you do whatever you need to do to raise awareness. And we can do it down there [first floor].

Eric Hirsch: Let me make something clear. We've never asked the governor for this. This is not his process. This is us delivering these petitions to the governor, if he's here, and if not, to his representative. That could be you.

David Barricelli, Jr.: The way it works, whether it's your organization or anyone who comes to the office - my office - the governor's office of constituent services - where the mail comes, where the emails come, where the phone calls come...

Eric Hirsch: I understand your argument,

David Barricelli, Jr.: It's not an argument. I'm just giving you the facts. I wish I had a bigger, more beautiful office for you to come to...

Eric Hirsch: I understand the position you're in.

As Barricelli and Hirsch had their discussion, a McKee staffer could be seen on the second floor closing the door to the State Room.

David Barricelli, Jr.: You can be outside the State Room but the door's going to be closed. That is the best I can do.

Professor Hirsch addressed the 30 people who had gathered for the event.

Eric Hirsch: What's happening here is that this gentleman was hoping that we would go into the constituent office but I think we want to be more about the governor's office, which is up on the second floor, so we're going to gather in front of the State Room, which is part of the governor's office where people will have some things to say and we'll deliver the petitions to the governor's constituent services director.

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According to the advocates:

“At the end of March 2024, Rhode Island had 1,560 unhoused people in emergency shelters and 529 living outside without shelter, a total of 2,089 people. This represents a near doubling of homelessness and an increase of over 600 percent in unsheltered homelessness since 2019. Hundreds of evictions every month have fueled these increases.

“According to the Rhode Island Housing dashboard, 2,010 households were evicted in the state in 2024, overwhelmingly due to an inability to pay skyrocketing rents. Instead of meeting the needs of those living outside, municipalities and police in the state have continually harassed people experiencing homelessness and have raided their encampments, which are often their last resort due to the lack of adequate shelter and housing.

“While the Governor’s Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor and his staff increased the number of shelter beds by over 30 percent this winter, we need many more. Unfortunately, instead of increasing the number of beds, the current plan is to close seasonal beds at the end of April 2024. This is unacceptable given the hundreds of people on the wait list for shelter and the thousands on wait lists for subsidized housing.”

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Outside the Governor’s State Room on the second floor of the State House, Taylor Ellis addressed the crowd. What follows is an edited transcript of their remarks. Here’s the video:

Taylor Ellis: We gather here today at the State House, outside the governor's office to call on him to declare a state of emergency for the unhoused and unsheltered crisis facing people in our state. We are members of the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project, Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE), Gather Together United as 1, the Rhode Island Poor People's Campaign, Better Lives Rhode Island, the Mathewson Street Church Housing Justice Committee, West Warwick's Health Equity Zone, and a growing list of other groups and individuals.

We bring signatures of people, collected on short notice, from across the state, to join this call and petition you to act.

Over 500 people are living without shelter in our state. There are over 1500 living in shelters, many in congregate shelters, which can mean 100 people sleeping in a gymnasium. Shelters often do not meet individual needs and force people to roam the streets during the day - conditions that are frankly inhumane and without real dignity. Even worse, some shelter beds may be closing later this month or next, but people need housing and shelter every month - year-round.

Those living in tent encampments face police raids and harassment that unfairly targets them. This needs to end.

We call on the governor to declare a state of emergency and use his powers to get people sheltered and housed. One person outside is too many and 500+ is outrageous. Homelessness is fueled by the larger housing shortage, super high rents, and the eviction crisis in our state - from treating housing as a commodity for profit instead of a human right. People without shelter are victims of this crisis, a manmade disaster. Treat and serve them as you would those made homeless by a natural disaster.

Matt [unhoused]: As of the end of March 2024, Rhode Island had 2089 people experiencing homelessness. 1,560 in emergency shelters and 529 living outside. The number of people experiencing homelessness has nearly doubled and the number experienced unsheltered homelessness has risen by over 600% since 2019. 2010 households have been evicted since January 2024 overwhelmingly due to their inability to pay skyrocketing rents. There are hundreds on the waiting list for shelter and thousands on the waiting list for housing. Municipalities and police in the state have continuously harassed people experiencing homelessness and have raided their homeless encampments, which are often their last resort due to the lack of adequate shelter and housing.

Rachel [Motel Six]: If on May 31st my room at Motel Six ends, what will happen? We will be on the street and we won't have an apartment or anything. And I have animals and everything like that. I'm scared. I have a brace on my foot. I can't be on the street because apartments are so expensive. I can't be on the street and I can't afford an apartment on my own.

I have seizures and heart murmurs. I won't make it outside. I want the Governor to know that I will not make it outside.

Karen [Motel Six]: I'm currently sheltered at Motel Six in Warwick and I'm fearful of what will happen when this program runs out, which they're talking about. I will be homeless with nowhere to go. Housing is a basic human right everyone deserves. Governor McKee, we demand that you create more shelters, more space, and affordable housing so that every Rhode Islander will have a safe space to rest their head at night. That's what we're asking for.

Terri Wright: Here we are again. It's sickening. I'm a community advocate, a member of the REJC (Racial Environmental Justice Committee), a tri-chair for the Poor People's Campaign, and an impacted person.

Poverty is the fourth leading cause of death. 529 people are forced to live in poverty 24/7 without adequate and decent shelter. Take a moment to imagine not being able to protect yourself from extreme weather conditions - zero-degree weather, during a heat wave and blistering temperatures in the summer months, the downpour of rain, ice, wind, and snow. Where is the harm reduction? All I see is entrapment.

Seasonal beds are an insult to humanity. The lack of coordination and meaningful housing reform is killing people throughout the state of Rhode Island. Housing is a human right and we need to treat it as such. Encampments are not allowed in our state. Where do people go? Raids of homeless encampments are still happening. These are not raids for drugs or criminal activity, but because someone called the governor or the mayor or the police with NIMBYism, which is a racist practice, not in my backyard.

When did sleeping in public spaces become a crime and why isn't being forced to live outdoors considered a crime? Old-world politics. This is exactly what it is. Nothing more than a tradition of the old world. Political structures that resist change and fail to adapt to today's world of evolving needs. Our city and state find money when money is needed. There are no tenant protections to stop landlords from pricing out tenants, individuals, and families.

Landlords are more than tripling what is expected of the tenants to pay. Families are being displaced. 636 evictions were filed in the past month. Evictions are up 124%. 468 of those evictions are due to nonpayment. News flash - it doesn't take policy to save lives in a state of emergency. Being forced to live outdoors is a state of emergency for the homeless and unsheltered. Being forced to live outdoors is an act of violence perpetuating civil unrest and social vulnerability. We hear many stories about budget and money and I want to say those are all BS excuses.

Where is the support from our local businesses? They make plenty of complaints about social loitering at storefronts. Where are they? Everyone who owns a business should be here in agreement with us.

This could be any one of us. This is a state of emergency for anyone who is forced to live outdoors 24/7. There are no 24-hour bathrooms and no porta-potties. But construction workers have porta-potties for the few hours that they are on the job. There are no hand-washing stations and no sanitizer. Where is the compassion? Where is the help? Where is the healing that needs to begin? We need the State of Rhode Island to pass the Homeless Bill of Rights bill with all of its revisions as it relates to the safety of Rhode Island's homeless population. And you can read for yourself online. That's House Bill 7967.

Where is the public safety for the unsheltered? They are just bodies on the ground in the grass behind buildings. You can't even live in a tent but that's how they have to live until they have shelter. Being unsheltered and forced to live outdoors is an act of violence -. and we are seeing a decrease in homeless shelters across the nation. But that's what other states are doing. That should not be us in Rhode Island when we have empty buildings that sit empty while folks are forced to live outdoors without any shelter or tent.

Governor Daniel McKee, we are calling on you to act with urgency and enact the state of emergency for Rhode Island and save lives.

Derek Harris [Unhoused]: I've got a pacemaker in my chest. I used to live outdoors in tents when it was zero below with the snow and I was forced to leave because people were just scattered everywhere. And I want to say something. Governor McKee, we could switch places. Let me be indoors. Let him be out there for one month. He won't survive, trust me. Ask anybody here. It's hard out there. Like the sister said, you can't go into public restrooms - you need to buy something. It wasn't like that 20 years ago. The rent was six, $700 for one bedroom. Now a studio is $1800 to $2,100. We can't afford this.

The Governor needs to lower the price of the rent so we can survive. I'm going to say it again, Government McKee I should be in the office and you should be out there.

Pamela Poniatowski led the group in a song

Serenity [Unhoused]: Governor Dan McKee, could you please find it in your heart to help the homeless? They kill people out there with guns and people are dying. We need a compromise. Put a cap and lower the rent. Stop judging people who are homeless with [criminal] records. Can you please and out of the goodness of your heart, help us?

Sharon Weeks [Unhoused]: Approximately four weeks ago, we were allowed through CES [Coordinated Entry Sysytem] to go to Motel Six. Two weeks ago, the room above us flooded due to a bathroom lake. They fixed the hallway, but not my bathroom. It happened again last night after they were told not to put anybody else in the room above us. Motel Six called the police on us. They trespassed me and my boyfriend. I wasn't breaking any of the rules. I make curfew. My room is clean and I addressed the problem for over two weeks. Nothing happened. There is no ventilation in any of those bathrooms, nor is there a sprinkler system in that building. I had a light fixture over my sink in my kitchen that had live wires and if it dangled and let go, I would be electrocuted as I did dishes.

I'm handicapped and disabled and they did not have me in a handicap accessible room. Please, we're human beings first. Why do you have to stereotype us because we have a backpack on our back? People become homeless for different reasons - it's not just drugs and alcoholism. Natural disasters happen.

Now I need knee replacement surgery. Motel Six evicted us for no reason - for going to them with a problem. The staff blatantly disrespected my boyfriend. It's unfair. We're being humiliated. We are human beings - we shouldn't be treated like animals.

Bruce: I'm a also resident at Motel Six. The rent has skyrocketed for a four-bedroom. They want over four grand for a four-bedroom and two grand for a two-bedroom. Caps need to be happening. Hopefully, landlords have a heart and open up their places as residences so that people can live.

It's hard to be on the streets. Me and my fiance, we've been on the streets since 2022. We were camped on State House property for almost a year, and then we went to Motel Six. Motel Six conditions are deplorable. You've got rats, roaches, and bedbugs.

Everybody should have a place to live, not just the people who can pay for it.

Reverend Wendy Van Orden: I'm part of the ministry team at Mathewson Methodist Church. I believe in the Universal United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and housing and food, with children starving in our world, are concerns for all of us. What I see in my daily ministry is the psychological and spiritual harm - sadness and disheartened damage to souls. I want to be there to encourage, to stand beside, to let people know they are of value and that they deserve safety and a place to stay.

David Barricelli, Jr. accepted the petition on behalf of the Governor.

David Barricelli, Jr.: All I can say, and I'm happy to say it, I've heard some stories. Our office is six people. We talk to people all the time, some homeless - different people throughout the state. ... I will be delivering this [petition] to the governor ... I know the governor is on this issue. I know that he's working with the General Assembly on this issue.

Nick Horton, from OpenDoors, wrote to me in response to some of the things the Motel Six residents said in their public comments: “There are two shelters at Motel Six. One is operated by Thrive Behavioral Health, shelters 63 people currently, and is closing on May 31st. One is operated by OpenDoors, shelters 122 people currently, and has been extended until September 30th. Speaking for OpenDoors, we have monthly visits from an exterminator and have not had any complaints about bedbugs, rats, or cockroaches since September 2023 when we hired a new exterminator. I also looked into the complaint raised by a participant in this event about being discharged from our shelter unfairly. There was a disagreement last weekend between this former resident and the owner of the Motel Six. The owner, who is not a member of OpenDoors, called the police of his own volition and without our knowledge. We are continuing to look into this incident.” He added, “there is no electrical hazard in the room referenced. The light over the sink was slightly dislodged.”