State legislators call for emergency declaration on homelessness in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — After the Providence City Council passed a resolution calling for Gov. Dan McKee to declare a public health emergency to combat homelessness, 46 state legislators called for the same thing.

The legislators also called on the governor to address the state’s housing crisis using the resources provided by the General Assembly to the executive branch.

In a statement, Gov, McKee said an emergency declaration would not solve the problem, saying in part:

If I were to use that emergency power to waive capacity limits in shelters or ignore other safety concerns such as sprinkler systems and adequate egress, I would be solving one problem by creating a new one.

The full statement from the legislators can be read below:

Your leadership is needed now to protect and save the lives of Rhode Islanders across our state, including our working class neighbors, our children, and our veterans.

In the past year, 54 Rhode Islanders have died because they resided outside in the elements. More have lost their lives because of diseases or illnesses they got as a result of their being homeless. It is our duty as Rhode Islander lawmakers to ensure every single Rhode Islander, no matter if they have a physical permanent address or they are our neighbors residing outside, have elected officials at every level of government willing to prioritize legislation and actions to protect them.

By declaring a state of emergency, you can bypass the rules and regulations that prevent swift action, like opening up additional overnight shelters and dispersing funds to community organizations that serve our homeless neighbors all year long. The dedicated service providers and community organizations doing the work need to be reimbursed and additional funding allocated to continue filling the gaps left by our patchwork system of support.

Gov. McKee, this is an urgent and dire situation. You must act swiftly and guarantee a solutions driven approach to this crisis by operating a fully functioning Department of Housing. We need a policy plan to address the housing crisis that impacts the lives of those who entrusted you to the office.

The full list of legislators who signed onto the letter can be found here.