Homelessness advocates push for more shelter funding
"We still have days left in this legislative session to make sure we get the investments in critical shelter spaces that we need," said State Senator Tiara Mack.
Advocates and people experiencing homelessness gathered outside the Rhode Island State House on Thursday before heading inside to make one last push urging the General Assembly to continue to fund the life-saving services for our unhoused community. The House’s proposed FY2026 Budget increased support for programs to help Rhode Islanders experiencing homelessness by $4 million over the Governor’s proposal, bringing the total to $8.5 million. This increase is funded by a portion of the increased conveyance tax, a portion of the hotel tax on whole-home rentals, and an infusion of general revenues.
“Without a shelter bed, I wouldn’t be here speaking to all of you,” said Donn King, who emceed the event.
Although this represents an increase over the Governor’s proposed budget, the $8.5 million represents a decrease in funding from previous years, as the state has finally exhausted the last of the American Rescue Plan Act funds, federal dollars allocated to help states and communities adversely affected by the pandemic. Due to the decrease in funding, Rhode Island will lose shelter beds, resulting in more people being forced to live in places unfit for human habitation.
“While we are glad that there was an appropriation of $4 million, it is not enough,” said State Senator Tiara Mack (Democrat, District 6, Providence), addressing the crowd. “More and more of our neighbors are going to find themselves unsheltered, and we are going to be chasing this crisis for more years.”
The 50 or so people gathered outside the State House were there in the hope that more funds could be secured. Here’s the video:
“I stand before you not only as an advocate, but as someone who has lived with the struggle of homelessness and now works as a case manager at Better Lives RI,” said John Chiellini. Better Lives RI is a non-profit agency whose mission is to offer stability, justice, and hope to those in need through advocacy and direct service. “This is personal. I know what it’s like to be without a place to call home - to feel cold and invisible - uncertain of tomorrow and wishing you could slip through the cracks.
“What is happening today in Rhode Island is not just policy on paper, it’s people. When we take away shelter beds, we are not just shifting budget lines; we are signing off on preventable tragedies. Every week, someone dies on the streets of our state. Every single week. That’s not acceptable. It’s unconstitutional. It’s not right. When we reduce access to shelter, we increase exposure to violence, weather, and despair.
“We are dismantling one of the last lifelines left for people facing the worst moments of their lives. I’ve held their hands, heard their story, and carried their weight when they don’t make it. We are not asking for charity. We’re just human beings treating humans like they should be. It’s about justice and whether we see people as people, as human beings worthy of compassion and dignity, or not.
“To be a member of the General Assembly, you have to have the power to act, prioritize, preserve, and say that in Rhode Island, no one will be left outside to die while shelter beds sit unfunded and closed,” concluded Chiellini. “I’m not just speaking for those without homes. I’m speaking from my experience, and I’m asking you - I’m pleading with you - do not look away.”
“Having shelter beds is very important. You do not know whose life you can change by providing a safe place to go,” said Jacqueline Mercado from Voices of the Homeless. “I have eight years combined of youth and adult homelessness. I have worked my way up to a career, now serving eight years in case management and housing stabilization with the organization that housed me out of homelessness.
“Now I get to give back to those who are struggling - those who were unhoused - and I can help them with their goals. When you are able to get out and avoid vulnerable and unhealthy situations, you can get your life together. We hear this all the time. Imagine being out here without a place to stay, sleep, or even consider your health and how you’ll cope.
“I have been there. I saw other people go through that - reunifying with their families, trying to keep their housing, and trying to maintain their health stability - and my team, whom I try my best to advocate for,” concluded Mercado. “We need to consider the funding. We must ensure that it continues. And please, be kind to others and advocate like you do.”
“We know what the current crisis is. Every day, I drive around my district and see more and more people resorting to encampments and facing instability in their housing,” said Senator Mack. “Right now, we have not made the necessary investments. We’ve known what the budget shortfall was going to be this entire session. We’ve known that when we invested one-time, limited FSRF or ARPA dollars into the budget, we would have to face either not funding our shelter system or an increase in the current crisis. That time has come.
“This budget does not respond to the urgent need that we’ve been talking about since the depths of winter, when we had our first crisis. This budget does not respond to the reality that we have over a 400% increase in people experiencing homelessness in our communities.
“We know what the crisis is, but we also have a voice to demand that all of our neighbors deserve to have the resources for safety, shelter, and stability. We know that makes our state that much greater. While we are glad that there was an appropriation of $4 million, it is not enough. More and more of our neighbors will find themselves unsheltered, and we will continue to face this crisis for years to come. I’m glad y’all are here to have this conversation, but it is quite frankly, too late. This is a slap in the face for the people who have been doing this work. We know this crisis is too urgent to ignore. I’m glad there are so many people here today with their stickers, but this needs to be elevated to every single person in that building.
“We have the opportunity to tax the wealthiest Rhode Islanders to find a funding stream. We had an opportunity to ensure that we were allocating an appropriate amount of funding in our budget, but we failed to do so. However, it’s not too late. We still have days left in this legislative session to ensure we secure the necessary investments in critical shelter spaces. Any shelter space that’s gone, when we have people in my community who can’t afford rent, who can’t afford groceries, who are being pushed out, and who are struggling to make ends meet, is a risk to all of our communities.
“I hope you are fired up to make your voices heard. I hope you know that every single person in the General Assembly is someone you can approach and speak with, and that you can bring the crisis to their attention,” concluded Senator Mack. “They know what the crisis looks like, but they need to see your faces. They need to hear your advocacy and know that any dollar missing from this budget for our shelter spaces is a face in their district and their community, and the face of a precious Rhode Islander that we can’t afford to lose.”
Once again, the people who have the least are being given the least. Shameful!! Many underfunded programs (homelessness, RIPTA as examples), could benefit from a minimal increased tax on those who have the most.