Fifteen years ago (2011) the RI General Assembly authorized and mandated the Interagency Council on Homelessness to develop and implement a “strategic plan to end homelessness” for Rhode Island. Today – 15 years later – Rhode Island has NO active plan.
For more than seven years—from 2017 until December 2024, the Council didn’t even meet. Rhode Island’s Department of Housing confirms the council reconvened in December 2024 for its “first meeting in over seven years.”
Yet, millions of dollars are allocated by state bureaucrats to an incoherent, under-resourced, not easily accessible system.
There are no measures for the strategic goals to house the unhoused in various settings, provide mental health services, promote independence/life skills, job training/placements, family support partnerships, etc.
This Interagency gathering of state officials “is mind boggling and a charade!” said one frustrated advocate for the homeless. “It gives the appearance of public sector racketeering to prevent and/or delay their legal duty as mandated” by the RI General Assembly.
There is no fostering of coordination or capacity building assistance to the service providers.
Additionally there is now a “Consolidated Homeless Fund (CHF) Grievance Policy & Procedure” for all program participant complaints served by agencies funded by the RI Executive Office of Housing (EOH). In light of the myriad of complaints brought to the attention of RI Homeless Advocacy Project (RI HAP), it might be useful for the RI EOH to provide Grievance Procedure training to the RI HAP membership.
Here is the agenda for TODAY’s meeting – where they will meet for a strictly enforced ONE HOUR.
Strategic Plan update is item #4 on this 60 minute agenda:
This weekend we will turn back the clocks one hour – on Sunday, November 1st.
The first day of winter is Monday, December 21, 2026
In 2001 the state was mandated to do a plan to end homelessness. It is 2026. The state – and the homeless – wait.
RINewsToday has written over 800 articles on the state of homelessness in Rhode Island – read them, HERE.
The post Homeless in RI: 15 Years after General Assembly Mandated a Plan, No Plan. Where’s the Outrage? appeared first on RINewsToday.
