RI Senate holds hearing on homelessness, Echo Village opening

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Two senate committees held a joint hearing on the rate of homelessness in Rhode Island and offered an update on Echo Village.

The 45 shelter beds at the state’s first pallet shelter were expected to open last spring, but the opening has faced delays.

At the hearing, Department of Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard offered a timeline of the pallet shelter project, and assured state leaders that the opening date is near.

Goddard expanded on what was left to do before it opens.

In addition to the final electrification of systems, those tasks include testing power, heating, and suppression systems, and the fire alarms of each the 54 structures and submitting a request for final inspections.

She added that the work left does not impact their opening timeline.

Homelessness advocates have begun their annual census in the state.

Surveyors with the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness started counting how many people were currently living on the street Tuesday night.

What they find will go toward a national count that helps determine how much money the state gets for shelters and affordable housing projects.

Last year they found more than 2,400 people living without a home.

That’s a 35 percent increase from 2023.

Governor Dan McKee and housing secretary Goddard announced additional funding to support emergency hubs for people experiencing homelessness this winter.

The funding is part of the “homelessness support initiative.”

The initiative supports emergency winter hubs for cities and towns that apply to the program.

West Warwick, Westerly, Burrillville and Newport are among the cities and towns that received funding so far.

After the most recently issued grants, the Department of Housing has about $65,000 remaining.

The rest of the money is available to cities and towns who apply for the funding between now and February 14.