Don't these folks know that it is winter already!! They seem to have no sense of urgency about solving this crisis. Contracts should have been signed , emergency hubs should have been dentified and funded, and plans should have been made before winter!
According to Steve's great article, warming centers are mandated to open only when the temperature or wind chill reaches 0 degrees? REALLY!? And RI Emergency Management Agency, RIHousing/WinterReadiness Project manager David Schnell took himself a nice vacation over the holiday. He wished everyone "Happy, Happy Holidays" (Well, maybe not to everyone...) after leaving this message: "I am currently out of the office until Thursday, Jan 2nd and have limited email capacity." AKA -Don't call me?
After a whole month on the job, Acting Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard is also not working this week. Perhaps she was living outside in a cardboard box in order to understand further what people who count on her go through?
The town of West Warwick emergency manager opens the West Warwick Civic Center on very cold nights. Mr Schnell said he believes the manager did this "one night last week and again last year". Last week, the temps were 11F. Well, that's one way to keep 'under budget'.
I'm sure it was a hell of a holiday for the homeless folks who are freezing out there. I'm wondering why David Schnell waited until the fall to start looking for financial solutions. He didn't know it was going to get cold?
I can't help but wonder how is it that we all can sleep at night when unhoused folks get driven off the floor of our grand symbol of democracy, the Rhode Island State House, and hidden from sight. The Homeless Bill of Rights was passed by an enthusiastic assembly in 2012. It's really something that we should all read. Here's one of many proclamations from the document: [Homeless people] "have the right to use and move freely in public spaces (sidewalks, public parks, public transportation, public buildings) in the same manner as any other person and without discrimination on the basis of housing status." The state of Rhode Island seems to be violating its own law.
As you can see in my sarcasm. yes, I am angry and I'm lashing out. I worry that Jimmy Carter 's prediction of the future is right on - that we have become a society that worships status and comfort and looks away when others are suffering. What's happening to us? I'm not religious but Whatever happened to "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself"?
So sad that our governments and their departments which are tasked with serving the needs of the people have done so little to address the unhoused crisis…..all know the crisis exists but leadership does not see it as a priority to address and so staffers appear clueless and people remain freezing, wet and ill outside as another year comes to a close….where is our outrage?
Lives are being shortened and lost and in other emergency scenarios there would be a response….probably not enough but something….but with the unhoused there is only discussion of property rights and the need to remove and raid encampments,cannot find the sites to create housing and shelter in spite of many state and municipal owned land and buildings available, not enough money available ( and that will likely shrink more in the new year ), stigmatizing unhoused people as not worthy of our“ investment”….. etc etc… people cannot even find a safe place to camp out without persecution and we can’t even provide them trash pickup, portable toilets, fresh water, or propane fuel so they can heat themselves..
It’s as if homeless is a detached concept from their consciousness and not a reality. I don’t know if that’s some cognitive deficit or a moral one.
Don't these folks know that it is winter already!! They seem to have no sense of urgency about solving this crisis. Contracts should have been signed , emergency hubs should have been dentified and funded, and plans should have been made before winter!
According to Steve's great article, warming centers are mandated to open only when the temperature or wind chill reaches 0 degrees? REALLY!? And RI Emergency Management Agency, RIHousing/WinterReadiness Project manager David Schnell took himself a nice vacation over the holiday. He wished everyone "Happy, Happy Holidays" (Well, maybe not to everyone...) after leaving this message: "I am currently out of the office until Thursday, Jan 2nd and have limited email capacity." AKA -Don't call me?
After a whole month on the job, Acting Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard is also not working this week. Perhaps she was living outside in a cardboard box in order to understand further what people who count on her go through?
The town of West Warwick emergency manager opens the West Warwick Civic Center on very cold nights. Mr Schnell said he believes the manager did this "one night last week and again last year". Last week, the temps were 11F. Well, that's one way to keep 'under budget'.
I'm sure it was a hell of a holiday for the homeless folks who are freezing out there. I'm wondering why David Schnell waited until the fall to start looking for financial solutions. He didn't know it was going to get cold?
I can't help but wonder how is it that we all can sleep at night when unhoused folks get driven off the floor of our grand symbol of democracy, the Rhode Island State House, and hidden from sight. The Homeless Bill of Rights was passed by an enthusiastic assembly in 2012. It's really something that we should all read. Here's one of many proclamations from the document: [Homeless people] "have the right to use and move freely in public spaces (sidewalks, public parks, public transportation, public buildings) in the same manner as any other person and without discrimination on the basis of housing status." The state of Rhode Island seems to be violating its own law.
As you can see in my sarcasm. yes, I am angry and I'm lashing out. I worry that Jimmy Carter 's prediction of the future is right on - that we have become a society that worships status and comfort and looks away when others are suffering. What's happening to us? I'm not religious but Whatever happened to "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself"?
So sad that our governments and their departments which are tasked with serving the needs of the people have done so little to address the unhoused crisis…..all know the crisis exists but leadership does not see it as a priority to address and so staffers appear clueless and people remain freezing, wet and ill outside as another year comes to a close….where is our outrage?
Lives are being shortened and lost and in other emergency scenarios there would be a response….probably not enough but something….but with the unhoused there is only discussion of property rights and the need to remove and raid encampments,cannot find the sites to create housing and shelter in spite of many state and municipal owned land and buildings available, not enough money available ( and that will likely shrink more in the new year ), stigmatizing unhoused people as not worthy of our“ investment”….. etc etc… people cannot even find a safe place to camp out without persecution and we can’t even provide them trash pickup, portable toilets, fresh water, or propane fuel so they can heat themselves..
Welcome to RI and another calendar year.