Advocates to demand action surrounding homelessness in Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — This afternoon, advocates will march to Providence City Hall and the State House to demand immediate action surrounding the homelessness crisis in the city.

According to a release, advocates from the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project are demanding that Mayor Brett Smiley stop all police raids of homeless encampments and that Governor Dan McKee to declare a State of Emergency until the current crisis of unsheltered homelessness is effectively addressed.

Back in May, Smiley sent out a vacate notice to residents of a homelessness encampment on Houghton Street and Branch Avenue.

At the end of April 2024, Rhode Island had 1,260 unhoused people in emergency shelters and 613 living outside without shelter for a total of 1,873, according to the release.

This represents a near doubling of homelessness and increase of over 600 percent in unsheltered homelessness since 2019.

The event will happen at 3 p.m., as well as 4 p.m. starting at Providence City Hall.