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Homeless in RI: DaVinci Center woes deepen. Destiny Bus ready for its mission to Woonsocket.
DaVinci Center
At last report a source told local media that progress was beginning to be made regarding the homeless encampment behind the DaVinci Center and Charles Place (Section 8 housing for 250+) on Charles Street.
But, RINewsToday has learned that conditions are not better, and any “progress” of a few people leaving the area has been replaced with more people than before moving into and living in the wooded area between the Center, the housing unit, the river and highway, on state property.
After drug use became rampant, during the day and particularly at night in the wooded area, the DaVinci Center had bushes cut and trimmed to expose the area to the light of day. But nothing has really improved. Fires have still been started. Open drug dealing and use remains. It anything, the situation has grown worse, and in the words of one resident, “I’m scared for my life”.
The expansion of illegal drug and other activity has gone from hidden in the “woods” to out in the open backyard gazebo (given as a gift from recently deceased Rep. Mary Ellen Goodwin), to the corridors, halls, and even apartments of Charles Place.
Carol Phipps, a formerly homeless woman who lives at Charles Place says she has been assaulted, her food stolen, and people are coming into the building to sell things for their drug use.
Phipps told NBC10: “I don’t like it. They hit me. They also harassed me, also telling me to never go back there again,” said Phipps. “They come in the building. They sell things just to get money for their drugs.”
Mayor Brett Smiley told NBC10 in a statement, “The City has continued to provide weekly support services in this area with providers paid for by the City, including support for housing, health, and recovery.” What those “support services” are that are “paid for by the City” was not specified.
Here is NBC10s report on Sunday:
Another resident reported that someone from that group broke into her apartment and she filed a report with the police department and the attorney general’s office.
Carol, who is in a wheelchair said when she called officials they told her to go online and complete a report.
Vin Marzullo, interim CEO of the DaVinci Center said Mayor Smiley has rescheduled his meeting with the new CEO and him, but it will happen on ZOOM on Monday morning.
Past RINewsToday stories on the DaVinci Center:
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Destiny Bus signed and ready for its mission
“Today our executive director has signed the contract to send our 3rd Dignity Bus to the city of Woonsocket in Rhode Island. We are so proud of the work that is being done in our community and now across the country.”Today our executive director has signed the contract to send our 3rd Dignity Bus to the city of Woonsocket in Rhode Island. We are so proud of the work that is being done in our community and now across the country.”
We are super excited to have signed a contract to launch a Dignity Bus in the city of Woonsocket Rhode Island. Our builders are former individuals who have come out of homelessness. Now they are providing a solution across the country. Stay tuned we have 2 more in the works.
From Treasure Coast Business publication:
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RI Legislative Session holds out hope for rapid housing solutions
Governor McKee signed into law the $14B budget for Rhode Island. These items specifically addressed housing –
- Creating a Statewide Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program:Provides a tax incentive for developers to expand subsidized housing options for low-income households. Elsewhere in the Northeast, state LIHTC investments have proved to leverage additional federal resources and successfully close financing gaps needed to finalize development proposals and get shovels in the ground for new housing production. The new program will award tax benefits to developers through a competitive process and will be capped at $30 million annually.
- Expanding Shelter Capacity: Adds $30 million to expand shelter capacity to better meet the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Sparking Housing Development: Establishes a priority projects fund for competitive grants to address priority housing developments. Potential uses of this funding include permanent supportive housing for vulnerable Rhode Islanders or housing for special populations such as seniors, veterans, or people with disabilities.
- Building a Robust Housing Department: Builds on the Governor’s goal to create a robust Housing Department to support the implementation of last year’s historic $250 million housing investment by adding 21 FTEs to the newly created Department of Housing.
A disappointment was the defeat of ADU legislation in the Senate, though it passed in the House and Speaker Shekarchi said he hopes to bring this back in early 2024. ADUs are Accessory Dwelling Units, commonly known as “granny flats” to be built onto or next to qualifying private homes.
Woonsocket did the right thing. Too bad that the State dropped the ball (again). Waiting for shovels in the ground is laughable since it hedged on the bus for months.
Many of the people (per the article) are drug users. They don’t want any home or shelter because they would be held accountable to stay clean. That is the crux of the problem. One can’t force anyone to give up their addiction.