Providence homeless encampment to be vacated Monday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The City of Providence will order a homeless encampment located on Charles Street to be vacated Monday.

Mayor Brett Smiley said that the city has “expressed our concern” for several months over the safety of individuals at the camp as it is “dangerously close to the highway.”

“This site continues to pose risks to those in the area, with several fires and floods in the last several weeks, which is why we will work towards clearing this site this coming Monday,” Smiley said.

He added that “state and local providers” to provide services to those who were living in the camp.

“We’ve partnered with the state and local providers to provide medical care, medical supplies, harm reduction services, behavioral health supports, and housing opportunities to those at this encampment site, whenever possible,” Smiley said.

Advocates with the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project gathered at the camp last month to express concerns over a possible evacuation order.

The organization released a statement reacting to the vacate order, saying they “strongly object” and that the mayor has “done nothing” in the past months to ensure the people living in the camp will have a safe place to stay.

“The [mayor’s office] suggested that they would begin the process of creating rapidly deployable shelter but has done nothing to make that happen,” the organization said. “Promises that a ‘social worker’ will find shelter or housing for people are very unlikely to be fulfilled, as is the promise to find storage facilities for peoples’ possessions. Instead people will have to find a new place to pitch their tents.”

People living in the camp have also reacted to the possibility of a vacate order.

“Cops keep pulling in and harassing us,” Mikki Adams, who has been living in the camp for the past few months, said.

According to the mayor’s office, the city has invested more than $3 million into housing and shelter beds in the last year.