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Homeless in RI: Encampment Sweep in East Providence – Bernie Beaudreau
Editor’s Note:Â 2 encampments in the woods in East Providence were cleared in anticipation of the severe weather expected. What follows is a first hand account of how that happened – and the city’s response. This was sent to nearly 400 advocates and those interested in the issue of homelessness in Rhode Island.Â
by Bernie Beaudreau, housing advocate and volunteerÂ
Last Thursday evening, January 15th, I received a text from a woman encamped near the East Providence – Pawtucket line: “Hey Bernie, I just got back from work a little bit ago. There’s a sign near the beginning of the path that says that the DPW is coming back on the 20th take all the tents down. What do they want us to do, where are we supposed to go in only 5 days…â€
She asked for my help. On Friday I reached out to the East Providence Police and spoke with the officer in charge of enforcing the city’s ordinance. I asked him why now, in the middle of winter, can’t they wait until Spring? He said they had a complaint. I went to Mayor Roberto DaSilva’s office to appeal to his good will and humanity requesting he postpone the eviction and clearance. I stood behind the plexiglass reception enclosure, speaking through the slot. Several staff came to me and explained that the mayor was booked with appointments. I detailed the issue of the planned encampment sweep for next Tuesday, after the Martin Luther King holiday. Staff tried to justify the mayor’s decision, arguing the trespassers had better options. I told them they really don’t, as I have gotten to know how the homeless shelter system doesn’t work for a lot of homeless people.
I wrote to the mayor with my request to postpone the eviction, on behalf of the folks in the woods. No response. I wrote again over the weekend, no response. I’m an East Providence tax payer. Not even an acknowledgement of my concern. No dialogue, no discussion. I am very disappointed in his non-response.
By Tuesday morning, January 20th, it had snowed several inches and the temperature had plummeted to single digits. I called the police officer in charge and he told me that it was too cold and icy for DPW to send in their backhoe, trucks and dumpster and that they may try again on Thursday with the forecast of a warmer day, but he was not sure. In the meantime, I delivered refills of propane to the people living there, taking a chance that they would have at least a few more weeks grace period before they had to move.
Yesterday morning I called the East Providence Police officer in charge to see if they decided to go ahead with the eviction. I left a message but no answer. Around 11 AM, on my way to deliver one more tank of fuel, I came upon a collection of DPW trucks, a backhoe and a huge dumpster at the beginning of the path into the encampment area. I got out and asked some of the men what was going on. They were waiting for the police officer in charge to lead the crew into the woods. The workers expressed that none of them wanted to do it – but they had orders from Mayor DaSilva.
When the officer in charge arrived, I appealed to him directly.  Please don’t do this. It is unnecessarily mean and inhumane. There’s no reason why it has to be done now with a huge storm forecasted and deep cold to follow.
He ordered the action anyway. The backhoe crossed the train tracks and went down the path to one of the tents. The woman occupying the tent stood before the officer and backhoe and argued – she is unable to move her belongings right now, didn’t have the help, and most importantly, has no place to go. The officer reconsidered and gave her until today to remove her belongings.
The backhoe then went to another tent. The occupant ran out through the woods. The backhoe then gobbled up the entire tent and its contents and dropped it in the dumpster.
Today the East Providence police and the DPW plan to complete the removal of tents, after granting the remaining occupants another 24 hours to vacate with their belongings.
My request to Mayor DaSilva this morning is to please cease action. What is the expense of this demolition employing staff, heavy equipment, dumpsters and backhoes? Punishing struggling poor people, three of whom are employed but not making enough to afford even the lowest rents does not ameliorate the problem. Some of these folks have jobs and plans. Let’s apply our resources to work with them to help them reach their goals, not displace and disrupt any progress they are making.
Bernie Beaudreau, Community Volunteer
Rumford, RI
Response from East Providence Mayor’s office:
From a Housing Advocacy Agency: “Thank you for your response. I don’t believe that anyone is questioning if the encampments are safe or unsafe, but more importantly questioning what is the other alternative to them? While East Providence and West Warwick are the only municipalities with emergency pop-up shelters, they are not permanent. There are long housing waitlists. For individuals experiencing homelessness, the constant need to pack up and move tent sites diverts valuable time and energy that could otherwise be spent seeking permanent housing, steady work, or essential care.”
From a Housing Advocate:
“…I would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss possible solutions to the negative impacts of homelessness in our neighborhood and state. I truly appreciate the fire and safety concerns associated with use of heating equipment for those living outside. Your suggestion of referring the afflicted homeless to Regional Access Points and community emergency shelters is also appreciated. However, it must be recognized that these emergency resources have severe limitations and do not meet the consistent daily need of housing for many people experiencing homelessness. An impending storm should not be the catalyst to uproot and evict those living outside. Every day is an emergency storm for the homeless in tents. They live each day without running water, heat, electricity, proper sanitation and food security.”
This is a developing story
The city of East Providence (and really all of Rhode Island) can do better. How awful to evict these people during such extreme cold and with a storm on the way. And why would the mayor not speak with and work with Bernie when he has so much knowledge about what is needed in this situation? These are human beings – Real people experiencing hardship in very difficult times. To have their tents bulldozed and all of their belongings tossed into a dumpster is inhumane and callous. Do better, Mayor DaSilva.
I am shocked with what I am reading. With these unfriendly, inhumane and indecent actions, does East Providence hope that these citizens just disappear? how? where? É uma vergonha total, Senhor Mayor. The City must do better.
I cannot believe the mayor would avoid conversation with one of the towns taxpayers – obviously aware of what the topic of discussion would be – and then post such a callous response.
Thank you, Bernie for caring for our less fortunate. We all need to walk in their shoes for a day, and I thank you for your articles that you have written giving us a clearer picture of the people behind the word ‘homeless’.
The reply was from communications staff, just to be precise. TY for reading, Larry!
It’s not a callous response. The mayor does not address anything. He gets everybody else to address it for him. I am resident in the city-owned home by the city of East Providence and when my quality of life was affected by a parking lot that he put in that the students park next to my house, he did not answer my calls. He did not answer my in-person request. He did not answer my emails. He did not answer my Facebook messages but when I posted it on Facebook I got his attention and 10 days later I had a notice to Nan renew my lease. Mind you I’ve been in my home for 6 years and I never had a complaint. I never violated my lease and my rent is always paid and yet he wants me out. I’ve had nothing but complete harassment since the day I got the non-renewal letter. The quality of life that I have had since then with the harassment the intimidation, the coercion and the outright blatant lies. Yeah he doesn’t address anybody. The man’s never had a conversation with me but my latest interaction with with Rick Lawson, the city council member who called me at 912 on Friday morning to tell me Bob’s coming for you hard and if you’re not out of that house January 31st he’s going to have you removed and he’s going to dispose of your belongings. Mind you, I’m an elderly woman on SSDI with a disability. Yeah, mayor is careless. Mayor is cruel. Mayor is inhumane mayor doesn’t have a heart and shouldn’t be a mayor. His power from being an ex-cop to mayor is absolutely appalling. There’s a church here in Riverside that is disgusted by his actions. Taxpayer not a. He hides behind that glass petition and he doesn’t face anybody that has anything to say.
Also I address the security deposit and they said that I didn’t have a $900 deposit in place and to prove it to them. Well when I proved it to them that’s when he got nasty and said he would have me removed from my home and put out my belongings dispose of because I proved it with his signature and they didn’t want to give me back my deposit. They said I wasn’t entitled to it. I am entitled to it and They wrote a letter saying that I can have it back to aid in my moving and I’ve yet to receive it. I have 6 days and he’s coming to throw me on the street just like he garbled up somebody’s tent and all their belongings with a backhoe straight into a dumpster. Well there’s a dumpster on site here because there’s construction going on behind the house. I bet you my stuff will be in the dumpster and I hope the tv12 will be here like they were the last time and they’ll get him on TV as to his inhumane unempathetic power tripping actions are and nobody will elect them again. I’m hoping he doesn’t belong in any kind of public official capacity