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DaVinci Center break-in, safety fears grow for seniors living with homeless encampment
There are two active homeless tent encampments at the DaVinci Center/Charles Place/West River area in Providence. They are located in back of the DaVinci Center, have been growing over the last few warmer weeks. City workers have been seen helping to pick up trash and keep the area overflowing into visible areas. Other tent and trash areas are in back of Charles Place, senior housing for 200+ elderly/disabled individuals. The seniors have expressed fear and anxiety, as well as concerns for the homeless individuals.
Last Saturday night, at 3:50am, the center was broken into, and the Providence Police Department apprehended the intruder and arrested him. It is likely he lived in one of the encampments. He had been released from the ACI the day before – for a previous B&E (Breaking and Entering) incident.
A source said there are needles & syringes in back of the DaVinci building, and in the bushes along the building, and provided these photos. There is a Middle School, Esek Hopkins, next to the Center building.
The West River where the encampment is was described as “an environmental mess”.
Next Tuesday at 4:30pm the DaVinci Center is hosting along with Councilman Justin Roias a 4th Ward Public Safety Conversation with the Providence Police Department and the Community. For more information about the DaVinci Center, go to: https://www.davincicenter.org/
Terrible that the people who live in that neighborhood have to be subjected to this! Much homelessness is due to addiction & mental illness, some is due to sheet LAZINESS. and, to be far some is because of lack of AFFORDABLE HOUSING! WHO can afford a rent of 1500- to 2000 + utilities?
I was in the area recently and the area is just a horrible mess! There’s a school right within the block and I don’t know why in the world they allow this encampment. It’s disgusting!!! It’s needs to be cleaned up and those homeless people removed. It’s such a blight on the area. Open field that’s with trash and it looks terrible when your driving down Charles Street. You have an elderly complex right next to this disgusting field and the Mayor has neglected this area of Charles street for eons. I used to live on Touro St back in 1985-87, and that empty lot was like that then (dirty and disgusting). Surely someone may want to purchase and build affordable housing. Who owns that lot? Do something with it! Someone is placing the elderly and the children in a dangerous position due to the homeless encampment and that horrible lot. Something seriously needs to be done to protect our elderly and the schools children who walk by that lot.
How is this allowed children going and getting out of school it’s unsafe unacceptable needles a child falls that’s unsafe.Homelessness is happening everywhere get them jobs earning a paycheck every week will show them Independence letting them sit there day after day shooting up drugs isn’t the answer schools getting out in 6 weeks.
This is terrible! This should not be allowed or necessary!