After long delays, ECHO Village is opening

“Echo Village represents our belief that housing is a basic human right," said House of Hope Director Laura Jaworski.

House of Hope CDC marked the opening of ECHO Village on Tuesday. This is the first Pallet shelter project in Rhode Island and is designed to address the State's homelessness crisis. The shelter will begin admitting residents on Wednesday. A long list of political luminaries spoke at the ceremony, but John Chiellini, a formerly incarcerated and formerly unhoused Rhode Islander, spoke best about what this project means:

“It’s a profound honor to stand here today and celebrate the opening of these tiny homes,” said Chiellini. “This momentous occasion holds a particular significance for me because I have personally experienced the transformational power of stable housing. At a young age, I faced significant challenges. I witnessed things no child should have, and this, along with other factors, led me down a difficult path that resulted in 13 and a half years of incarceration. I struggled with addiction and its many consequences.

“I felt lost and hopeless for a long time, but my life changed when House of Hope offered me a lifeline - thank you, Laura - a permanent supportive housing voucher. It wasn’t just about having a roof over my head. It was about having a foundation to rebuild my life. Without stable housing, I could not address other critical needs. I started journaling, working on myself and my emotional intelligence, and focusing on my recovery. I was trapped in a vicious cycle, and [stable housing] allowed me to break the cycle.

“Since then, my life has changed dramatically. I began as a peer mentor with House of Hope and found my passion. From there, I’m in the process of becoming a certified peer mentor. I sent them the paperwork - I’m just waiting to get the certification, and I’m very proud. Coming from where I come from, it’s unbelievable. It was all because of House of Hope.

“For the first time ever, I applied myself and succeeded. Now that I’m on the other side of my PTSD, I found employment, reconnected with family, and I am in a position to give back. I am passionate about helping others who have faced similar struggles. These tiny homes represent the same opportunity for others. They offer a chance for individuals to find stability, heal from their past trauma, and build a brighter future. They represent hope. Thank you, House of Hope, for allowing me to grow as a person because without House of Hope, I wouldn’t be here today, and I wouldn’t have helped all the people I’ve helped.”

Watch the video of all speakers here:

ECHO Village features 45 one-room Pallet units, each 70 square feet; four office units; three hygiene units, including four full baths, one ADA bathroom, and one staff bathroom; one laundry unit; and one large community unit. Each unit is equipped with fire suppression systems, smoke and CO detectors, heating and cooling units, and fire-retardant paint, all ensuring the safety and wellbeing of residents.

Operated by service provider House of Hope, ECHO Village is designed to support the most vulnerable, unsheltered Rhode Islanders, particularly those living on the streets for the longest time – 66% of these individuals will be from Providence. In advance of the site opening, House of Hope’s street outreach team began identifying potential ECHO clients and, as early as Wednesday, will start assisting them in moving from unsafe living situations, such as tents or vehicles, to ECHO Village. Client move-ins will be in waves, with groups of 10-15 individuals moving in each week. This phased approach by House of Hope ensures safety and effectiveness and allows for the pace to be adjusted as needed until ECHO Village reaches full capacity.

In addition to having House of Hope staff deliver wraparound support services, including onsite case management, housing and benefits application assistance, job training, and health-related services such as substance use recovery and mental health support, Amos House will partner with House of Hope to provide daily meals to those on site.

There were long delays in getting this project done. First, finding a location for the project was difficult —five other communities rejected the proposal—and then building code issues caused the project to be classified as a hotel, necessitating costly and time-consuming fire safety provisions. [For more on these delays, see here.]

If ERB shows up, you’re on the right side of history.

“This is a bittersweet day,” said Laura Jaworski, Executive Director of House of Hope CDC. “It's strange to celebrate the opening of a shelter, but we felt it was important to celebrate because a lot of hard work went into this project. I never believed we would make it, and I’m so proud of the work that we’ve done. Music was the right way to set the tone and get good vibes. Also, music is a disruptor in our society and brings us together, particularly around social justice issues. So, it felt more than appropriate to have the Extraordinary Rendition Band come in and welcome us as we enter our first opening day tomorrow.”

Director Jaworski continued:

“Echo Village represents our belief that housing is a basic human right. Throughout our challenges, we’ve never stopped believing in this project’s potential to provide dignity and safety for those experiencing homelessness. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 worsened housing insecurity, and coupled with the opioid epidemic, homelessness erupted here in our State. While we all agree that housing is the answer, we needed alternative shelter options, which is how we learned about the Pallet company. ECHO, an acronym for Emergency Covid Housing Opportunities, was born from the lived experiences of those facing homelessness.

“Our purpose here is simple: Provide safety, support, and dignity. By November 2020, we had identified our first potential site for ECHO. Still, after six attempts across the State, we finally found our home here on Victor Street, thanks to the State and the City of Providence’s understanding that innovation is possible for its most vulnerable residents.

“While being the first project of its kind in the State came with its challenges, we remain committed to learning and improving every step of the way. This became our organization’s challenge, and it was an accepted moment. What is our responsibility? What role can we play in designing a shelter that is more responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable among us and those we face daily? Since we began this journey in 2020, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Rhode Island has doubled.

“Now, as we prepare to open, we must remember why we’re here. The nearly 600 people in our State sleep in freezing temperatures and, sadly, sometimes don’t wake up with nowhere to call home. We do this in their honor and their memory.

“For those focused on the setbacks, I ask you to consider the lives this project will transform. ECHO Village is not just a temporary shelter; it’s a lifeline. It’s a chance for people to reclaim their futures. It’s only one step, and we certainly have more to do, but I urge everyone to listen to the voices of those in need and those working tirelessly to find innovative solutions like ECHO Village. There are lots of wonderful ideas happening in the nonprofit sector. They deserve to be heard, and we owe it to that community to support them.

“When our neighbors suffer, the cost of doing nothing is too great. What price can we place on a warm bed, a door we can lock, or the stability that allows someone to breathe, heal, and hope again finally? ECHO Village is built on the wisdom of those who have faced the hardest paths. Let’s keep their voices at the forefront and remember that this village is more than a roof. It’s a gateway to dignity, passion, and lasting change.”

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Speaker Joseph Shekarchi of the Rhode Island House of Representatives recently introduced legislation that will facilitate building projects like Pallet shelter communities.

“I have some prepared remarks, but before I do that, I just want to tell you I’m cold. I’m here for 15 minutes, and I’m cold,” said Speaker Shekarchi. “Can you imagine someone living outside in the cold? Think about that for a minute. This is an excellent opportunity to celebrate, but let’s not forget people living outside.

“We have a severe housing shortage and homelessness crisis in Rhode Island. Rhode Island’s unhoused population has increased dramatically in the last several years, and we are in dire need of more housing as people experience homelessness.

“Laura said it earlier: Remember those unhoused and in need. I don’t have to remember them because I have a House full of Representatives like Teresa Tanzi, who reminds me about that, and Jen Stewart, who reminds me that we are in session every day. And when we’re not in session, I get a text at 10 o’clock at night or a phone call at 7:00 AM. "Speaker, what are we going to do? What can we do to help you? You have allies, and you have support."

“Thank you, Laura, for everything you do.

“In the General Assembly, we’ve been working on it. We’ve allocated more than $120 million in the last few state budgets to address homelessness. All positive outcomes begin with a safe and stable home. We can do all the programming we want, but what does it all mean if a person doesn’t have a safe place to sleep at night?

“Just recently, Rico, one of our unhoused neighbors, froze to death not too far from here, and there are probably others we don’t know about. Everybody here, me included, needs to do more, and we need to do it better. ECHO Village will enable individuals experiencing chronic homelessness to have much-needed shelter, stability, and safety. I’m pleased to be here today to mark this opening.”

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Also speaking at the event was Providence City Council President Rachel Miller, who was instrumental in opening Providence City Council Chambers as a warming shelter:

“It’s tremendous to see everyone here in the cold today. This is a powerful housewarming for a new community that is opening tomorrow. This is a huge moment. We’ve heard how necessary it is. We know how necessary it is. We live that every day. This is the beginning of a new opportunity for 45 people or couples. It’s the beginning of a new opportunity for Rhode Island to address the crisis head-on.

“We’re not just building a community; we’re building about a community staffed by some of the state’s most compassionate, competent outreach workers. We’ll have resources for recovery here, community building, and paths to permanent housing. These 45 units will be a lifeline for Rhode Islanders who have all too often been looked past, turned away, and left behind.

“ECHO Village is a model for what we need while we fight for longer-term solutions to handle the crisis that we’re in and prevent people from entering into homelessness. Hundreds of Rhode Islanders are stuck between a rock and a hard place, navigating wait lists and brutal cold every winter. There aren’t enough beds, there aren’t enough spaces.

“This is a shining example - proof of what is possible when we think beyond and put the dignity of our neighbors first. Every human deserves a warm and safe place to stay, especially in winter, but every night, 365 days of the year. This is why the Providence City Council opened up Council Chambers as a last resort, a refuge for unhoused residents. It’s why we worked so successfully with Mayor Smiley to open up the DaVinci Center. We must do more alongside other great providers operating the City of Providence. We continue to push for bold and lasting action and meaningful policy change.

“Last week, the council passed a resolution supporting Speaker Shekarchi’s legislation to support the urgent and swift construction of more emergency units or save units. Thank you, Speaker, for taking that action. Thank you for paving the way for more projects like ECHO. You have been an extraordinary and unprecedented leader on this issue, and Providence is grateful for that leadership.

“We’re all here because we know what needs to happen, what we can do better as a City, as a State, as a community of people who care about one another. We must move forward and cut through the red tape that causes delays in innovative projects like this. We need to keep pushing for policies that prevent homelessness before it starts. Policies like rent stabilization, tenant protections, just-cause eviction, social housing, actual investments in affordable permanent housing, and more housing units at every income level.

“As we celebrate this housewarming, we celebrate that the people of Providence have a new place to turn when times get tough. And tomorrow, we keep fighting together for the next policy win and the next life-changing project until every Providence and Rhode Island resident has a place to call home.”

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“I am the founder of Pallet, and I started the company to create jobs for people in my community who others would not employ. More than 80% of Pallet staff are people who are exiting homelessness and the justice system in Washington State, where I live,” said Pallet CEO Amy King. “We aim to teach and train as many people as possible in the construction trades. We need more workers to build more permanent housing to end this crisis.

“For every person entering the construction trades, seven are exiting. More than one-third of Americans have criminal histories. That is more people than have college degrees. If we don’t start getting people back to work and back to purpose, we’re going to keep fighting this cycle.

“I’m excited for the people who come to live here. When they go to bed at night, they know that the walls around them were built by someone who walked the journey that they are on and has successfully exited that. And I hope that gives them hope.

“Pallet began from the belief that housing is a human right and that all lives have value and purpose. Over the last decade, we’ve partnered with over 119 cities in 31 states and three provinces across North America. Through those incredible partnerships, we have been honored to see tens of thousands of lives sheltered and restored, predatory behavior ceases in communities, crime rates dropping by more than 30% in cities that house shelter villages, and essential stabilizing services delivered to those that need them most.

“What an honor to be here to celebrate the opening of this site today. Laura, your championing this site and its purpose has been an epic feat. We’re proud to stand with you in delivering lifesaving shelter to your community. Speaker, thank you so much for your willingness to pursue the necessary changes to embrace construction innovation and make shelter production faster and more cost-efficient to deliver more opportunities with speed and at scale. We look forward to the many beautiful stories of restoration that will come from this place and are honored to share in today’s joy with you.”

Also speaking:

“The opening of ECHO Village has been a long time coming, and the road to get here has not been easy. But what matters most is that today, Rhode Island is taking action,” said State Senator Jacob Bissaillon. “ECHO Village will provide shelter, dignity, and stability to those in need—because having a place to stay is the first step for an individual to regain their footing and develop the agency to rebuild their life. A pallet in ECHOVillage is more than four walls and a roof, and it is the opportunity to reclaim one’s future by making choices over one’s life and turning hardship into hope. In my District and the heart of our Capital City, we are proving that progress is possible.”

“ECHO Village marks the latest addition to the State’s inventory of over 1,300 shelter beds,” said Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee. “Our administration remains committed to addressing homelessness in partnership with our cities and towns, service providers, faith-based communities, and other local partners.”

“The opening of ECHO Village is another addition to Rhode Island’s efforts to address homelessness while providing safe, dignified shelter for those in need,” said [Acting] Secretary of Housing Deborah Goddard. “By working with local partners, the State continues demonstrating its commitment to addressing homelessness through innovative solutions and collaboration. This project is a key part of the State’s broader strategy to work towards bridging the gap between the streets and permanent supportive housing for Rhode Islanders experiencing homelessness.”

“In Providence, we are taking a multi-pronged approach to supporting our unhoused neighbors and addressing the housing crisis. Innovative initiatives like ECHO Village play a critical role in providing safe shelter for our neighbors who need support,” said Mayor Brett Smiley. “I am proud to have collaborated with our State, local, and community partners to open this location that will provide shelter, critical resources, and stability for Providence’s unhoused population.”