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Homeless in RI: Action at Providence Mayor’s Home, Funding Audit, Salaries, No Summer Plan – UPDATES
Photo, top: NBC10, in front of Mayor Smiley’s home
Two days ago, advocates for the homeless demonstrated in front of Providence Mayor Smiley’s home. Advocates felt that efforts to move the homeless go against the Homeless Bill of Rights. One of the people in the group was Vin Marzullo, who yesterday did an interview with Gene Valicenti on the WPRO morning show. Here is his interview:
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An estimated 493 people living homeless in Rhode Island
Recent counts place the number of people living “on the streets” at approximately 500. And most of them, according to Eric Hirsch, are on the official waiting list. ___
New Law in Rhode Island
- Applies to nonprofits that receive more than $50,000 annually from the General Assembly.
- Requires these nonprofits to submit an employee compensation report within 90 days of receiving the funds.
- Mandates detailing the total compensation, benefits, and other allowances for the five highest-paid employees earning over $100,000 annually.
- Does not require naming the specific employees, but the report must list their job descriptions.
- This requirement serves as a condition for the nonprofit to continue receiving state funds.
- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires all nonprofits to disclose the names, salaries, and total compensation of their five highest-paid employees earning over $100,000 on their annual tax returns (Form 990).
- These Form 990s are public records and can be accessed through online databases like ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer and Guidestar.
___ Salaries at Crossroads Taken from the 990 for the tax year 2023, here is the public information on salaries at Crossroads: 
* Note: Karen Santilli and Michelle Wilcox are both noted with full time salaries – Santilli left the organization in 2024, after 30 years with the agency, 9 of which as CEO. Here is the link to the 990 pdf for Crossroads for 2023 from – Guidestar. ___
More on Salaries
In January of 2023, we did a deep dive into the salaries paid by several organizations serving the homeless.
Snapshot of staffing at Key Agencies serving the homeless
We perused a few of the agencies staffing and working primarily on the homelessness issue in Rhode Island. This is not inclusive as there are many others, some faith based such as those run by the Diocese of Providence, and some smaller nonprofits such as the Providence Rescue Mission, Open Doors, Lucy’s Hearth, etc. But these are the ones that most often come to mind. https://rinewstoday.com/homeless-in-ri-looking-for-2500-20000-pallet-shelter-sponsors-agency-staffing-snapshot/ RI DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING (a RI government agency)
HOUSE OF HOPE CDC
Eric Hirsch on with WPRO’s Tara Granahan
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Xanadu – Up on the Roof
When Crossroads began its new building construction, they also did outside building renovations on their existing tower. But what soon appeared were blue LED lights ringing the roof. We later learned they could change colors and they became pink for a month, then multi-colored for recognition of Pride Month. https://rinewstoday.com/homeless-in-ri-blue-light-special-for-providence-from-crossroads-ri-685000/ Here is the last article we did where homeless advocates said they were terrified because they didn’t have water or a list of other items to help people get through the heat:
Homeless in RI: “We’re Terrified…” says Coalition. Lacks Water, Supplies for Heat Wave. RIEMA Cooling Center list.
Senator Lou Raptakis calls for a review/audit/look back, etc.
Senator Raptakis has indicated he will stay on the issue of funding for homelessness in Rhode Island. We hope this information is helpful to him in his investigation. As Tara Granahan said on her radio show on Wednesday, “this has gone on to become a scandal”.
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Pallet Shelter Update – ending on a positive note
We start this month with a touching video report out of our media colleagues at NBC10 and Dan Jaehnig who had an exclusive opportunity to interview a few residents of the long-awaited, and now open, ECHO VILLAGE. ECHO Village in Rhode Island, a shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness, cost approximately $4.6 Million. This project was funded by a combination of federal and municipal funds. The original budget was $3.3 million, but the final cost increased due to factors like fire safety upgrades. Here is Dan’s interview:
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Newport
The MLK Center in Newport is offering – every two weeks – a free showering session to those without access to facilities to shower.
They have a trailer that offers dignity and privacy with three separate stalls with individual entrances, and provided soap, shampoo, and fresh towels.
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Open Doors Update
Since the proposal to move the residents at Motel Six in Warwick to Memorial Hospital failed, Motel Six has closed. Open Doors says “there have been multiple public meetings and announcements about our new project in Woonsocket”.
Woonsocket approved opening a new homelessness facility run by Open Doors at 181 Cumberland St. It should be open any day and will serve 50. They also approved banning encampment city-wide.
Dignity Bus Update, Woonsocket
The bus opens at 9 p.m. and accommodates up to 20 individuals. The Valley Breeze story – HERE: https://www.valleybreeze.com/news/woonsocket-s-unhoused-offered-dignity-comfort-through-daily-care-circuit/article_832f13da-23fe-404d-a632-adfe1e238a02.html also notes “a group of six elderly women who each sleep in their own cars at a different location, but they rotate keeping watch overnight to ensure one another’s safety”.
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The Rhode Island Department of Housing is closing two family shelters at the end of this month. One is Eleanor Slater Hospital’s Zambarano unit in Burrillville, opened in 2023 as a temporary shelter and currently shelters nine parents and 14 children. The other is the family shelter on the URI campus, housing nine families and approx. 14 children. (see story below).
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Independence Way at URI – family shelter
The family shelter on the outer campus of URI which began in February of 2024 is now returning to serving the disabled community, RINewsToday has learned. From The Warm Center that ran the program: “BHDDH will take possession of the building July 1st, but its future use is unknown to us. We are working with the families to help them locate permanent housing or comparable shelter through the network of family shelter providers in the state. When The WARM Center was notified of this decision there were 9 families utilizing the shelter. To date, four families have been placed in permanent housing, and we continue working every day to identify safe, affordable, preferably permanent housing for the remaining households. Shelter stays should be rare and brief so in every circumstance, not just this one, we work with individuals and families to end their homelessness as quickly as possible.” – Jessica Mowry, MSW, LICSW, Executive Director, WARM Center, Inc.
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In Massachusetts, cuts to family shelters “Massachusetts is planning to further reduce the size of its shelter system for families experiencing homelessness. According to shelter providers, the state has told them the reduction will be more widespread than previously announced. It comes on the heels of other sweeping changes in how the state shelters families. State officials say those changes mean families are moving out of shelter at a record pace, and shelter demand is down.” (MassLive)
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In Fall River – encampments
Fall River authorities demolished 14-15 homeless encampments
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Street Sights
We are proud once again to provide you with Street Sights – for July. Rhode Island’s only newsletter by and for the homeless:
Street Sights JULY 2025 for web
https://rinewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Street-Sights-JULY-2025-for-web.pdf