The 17th Annual Interfaith Poverty Vigil focuses legislative attention on Rhode Islanders in need
“We’re making progress," said Speaker Shekarchi, "but progress is not enough until all Rhode Islanders have a safe place to live and enough food to eat."
“It’s always a pleasure to be here,” said Rhode Island’s Speaker of the House, K. Joseph Shekarchi, to the 150 religious leaders and community members gathered in the rotunda of the Rhode Island State House for the 17th Annual Interfaith Poverty Vigil. “I appreciate the advocacy of everybody here today who fully understands the crisis we are living in and who continues to push forward. I assure you you’ll get the same commitment from the House of Representatives and myself as we move forward this year.”
Those gathered were united in the belief that government has a moral responsibility to fight poverty and inequality in our communities, which includes the following:
A safe and affordable home;
Adequate, nutritious food;
Quality and equal education;
Affordable and accessible health care;
Work with decent wages;
A just Criminal Justice System; and,
Economic Stability.
Traditionally, the Vigil welcomes the Governor, the House Speaker, and the Senate President to address the gathering. Speaker Shekarchi was the only one of the three to attend this year. Senate President Dominick Ruggerio sent Senator Louis DiPalma to speak in his stead, and Governor Daniel McKee never responded to the invitation to attend.1 The Governor was in the building during the event.
Jeremy Langill, Executive Minister at the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, emceed the Vigil. Aisha Manzoor offered the opening prayer, and the Reverend Carl Jefferson of the Poor People’s Campaign delivered the keynote address.
You can view the entire vigil here:
Here is a transcript, edited for clarity, of Speaker Shekarchi’s words:
“We thank the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition for your work to reduce poverty and all the advocates and members here today. Your work is to lift people out of poverty. We all want to improve the lives of Rhode Islanders and reduce poverty, and I can’t thank you enough for your continued advocacy. Since I became Speaker, one of my top priorities is housing. All positive outcomes start with a good, safe home. We can do all the programming we want, but what does it mean if a child doesn’t have a safe place to go home? What does it matter?
“I want to take a moment to honor the memory of former United States President Jimmy Carter, an incredible champion for affordable housing. President Carter firmly believed that housing is a human right. Everyone deserves a safe, stable place to live that they can afford. It’s a matter of equity.
“Sadly, this is not an issue unique to Rhode Island, nor a partisan issue. At a recent National Governor’s meeting, every state listed housing as their top issue. The House has been working on this issue for the past four years - with many people in this room. In the General Assembly, we have passed almost 50 new housing laws - eliminating rental application fees, which were a huge barrier for families, and streamlining the process to develop more housing. We also invested one-third of the State’s Federal Fiscal Recovery Funds - $332 million - in affordable housing initiatives.
“Later today, the 2025 legislative session will begin, and with that beginning comes the victory of the largest single bond in Rhode Island’s history: $120 million for Housing. I expect that during this session, we’ll focus on ensuring that our massive investments in housing are delivered effectively and efficiently.
“We will closely watch the progress made by our State Housing Department. Many of us, and I know many of you, are deeply concerned about the resources we’ve directed to help the unhoused. Steve Alquist reported on this. Rates of homelessness in Rhode Island have increased almost 35% in one year. Rhode Island’s housing crisis affects every single community, but people on the lower end of the economic spectrum and people who are unhoused by the brunt of the shortage. Sadly, the price of homes in Rhode Island has nearly doubled in the last five years.
“There is not a single municipality in this State where a family earning $100,000 can afford to buy a house. According to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, our State’s medium household income is just under $75,000, so the average family cannot afford to buy a house, and rents are skyrocketing.
“When people ask me, “Why have you passed 50 new laws? Isn’t the problem solved?” The truth is, it’s not even close. Look at the communities still pushing back against affordable housing. I hear this far too often: “We don’t want those people in our community.”
“Affordable housing is for working families. Those people are our first responders, our teachers, our healthcare aides; they’re everybody. They are many of us here today. Working families are the core of our communities, and workers should be able to live in communities where they work. Too many people in Rhode Island are still struggling.
“It doesn’t cost anything to be part of this legislative process - to be involved when legislation is introduced. Let us know what you think about it and how it impacts people you work with [either] positively or negatively. Reach out to your State Representative, testify before a committee hearing, submit an email, and provide feedback.
“No decision in this building says yes or no to any housing development in this State. Those decisions are made at the local level. It’s great to come here and to have this vigil and this press conference. It’s great to come and talk about it; it’s important, and we need you here. But when those debates are being done in the local cities and towns, at your planning boards, at your zoning boards, at your City Council, you need to be there. Each of you needs to be there because housing is important, and without your efforts and input, unfortunately, there are more nos than there should be and fewer let’s than there should be. [Being there] helps spread the message to all of Rhode Island that Rhode Island means housing.
“We’re making progress, but progress is not enough until all Rhode Islanders have a safe place to live and enough food to eat. Our work in the General Assembly and the House in particular will continue on behalf of all of us in the General Assembly. Thank you for your important advocacy, and God bless you all.”
That governor has got to Go! He is clueless. Or worse. Rhode islanders deserve and need a compassionate leader. McKee is neither.