Anti-homeless bias is strangling our discourse. Fight back.

“...homeless people and whatnot - How you would police that...?"

Anti-homeless bias is becoming a feature of our public discourse as members of state and local development commissions and task forces declare - unrelated to the subject at hand - that the problem isn't homelessness, but the existence of unhoused people.

At a December 20, 2023 meeting of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, of which only audio and a very tiny, indistinct video are available for review, an unnamed commissioner expressed his concerns about a proposal from The Providence Flea to develop Parcel 1A. The structure would be a line of permanent sun and rain shades to protect the shoppers and sellers from inclement weather and blistering sun.

“One of my big concerns was the structure itself,” said the Commissioner. “We have a beautiful city here. I didn't particularly love the structure, and I was also concerned with what might happen with potential homeless people and whatnot - How you would police that when the Flea isn't going on? I just had a little concern so that's what my thinking was.”

This might seem an outlier comment from a particularly uncaring and ignorant public official, but sadly it isn't the only time such comments have been made.

On Wednesday night at the first meeting of the Providence City Council's North Main Street Task Force, commission member, business person, and North Main Street property owner Thomas Badway began his public comments by declaring, “There are safety issues [on North Main Street.] There's so much homeless in the area. It's out of control.”

Later, to make sure he drove home his point, Badway commented on the presentation given that suggested possible improvements to North Main Street.

“These are all great ideas but we have to do something with the people,” said Badway. “Homeless people. That's the problem. They're there. They're not leaving.”

Still not content, Badway told a story about a “vagrant” walking into the street and in front of a Jeep. “That's the problem,” said Badway, showing the Task Force members a picture of a man sleeping on a bus stop bench. “Who's going to invest millions when you have this guy just sleeping at a bus stop?”

I shouldn't have to say this, because the solution is obvious, and it does not require policing unhoused people or actively discriminating against them because of their economic status. The solution to homelessness is to provide adequate housing to everyone.

I rose during public comment to deliver the following remarks at the Noth Main Street Task Force meeting:

“I did not intend to speak, but I feel compelled.

“There is a problem of Homelessness in Providence.

“But homeless people are not the problem on North Main Street.

“Unhoused people are not driving their sport utility vehicles at 50 mph and running people over. The problem is poor street design and cars designed to protect drivers and kill pedestrians.

“The 'problem' of homeless people will not be solved by criminalizing homelessness.

"The mayor using the police to criminalize an economic condition is not the solution.

“It cannot be solved by appeasing people who see less fortunate people as an obstacle to their economic well-being.

“I am usually happy to see the topic of homelessness discussed by government agencies, but the tone at this meeting about this subject has been dehumanizing.

“If this task force continues in this direction, it will fail. And I’m disappointed that the members of this committee let those comments pass without any pushback.”

Let me end this with a request: If you hear comments like this from our public officials, push back. Bigotry against the unhoused may be a response to our frustration with an economic system that allows some people to fall so far into destitution and homelessness, but it's also propelled by people in our system who have money and power.

The unnamed I-195 commissioner and Thomas Badway have wealth, power, and success, and they want more. They can listen daily as right-wing radio and television shock jock Gene Valicenti uses his platform to engender hatred against unhoused people. Valicenti’s guests, including Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, kowtow to Valicenti's ignorance and hostility towards the unhoused, using the police to add further indignities to lives that are already shattered and under threat.

So again: If you hear this kind of talk at a public meeting, rise to your feet and say something. Challenge the casual cruelty spouted by the rich and entitled. Tell our elected leaders and their business cronies sitting on boards, commissions, and task forces to reject ignorance, fear, and cruelty and call for real action on solving our unhoused crisis.

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