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Homeless in RI: He wasn’t sleeping, he was dead. But he was counted.
Shocking testimony at the Interagency Council to End Homelessness. So shocking we could not report on it in one report – after the one hour meeting the chair responded to a spontaneous outrage of the group of homeless individuals and their advocates and granted a 15-minute extension.
The testimony of Erich Hirsch phased no one in the room – there were no gasps – there was no surprise – or shock – no one stepped up to take a “report” of it. But it was captured on video, by the tireless Steve Ahlquist, documenting in real time the “institutionalized emergency” of the homeless and those charged with a solution – that have none.
A dead man was part of the Point in Time count night. Maybe he was sleeping? They didn’t try to find out. No one disturbed him. Was he “counted”? We don’t know. But we know he won’t show up on any Utilization Report or committee minutes.
But we say his name. His name is Rico – his story remains untold. As you read this, he resides in Rhode Island’s morgue. Unclaimed. Unheard. Counted. Or maybe, erased. His friends say his name, they tell his story, but it’s sparse, we don’t know much.
And now we learn of at least 2, perhaps 3 others. This testimony is here:
Eric Hirsch:
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No one is coming to rescue the homeless in need – but one person knew he could do something – and we all can help
One person is making a difference. A former student of Hirsch and a familiar face in trying his best to find creative solutions. Dave O’Connor. He has raised GoFundMe money and is quietly putting up homeless people this winter in hotel and motel rooms. As you read this, there are probably 100 or so of Dave’s SAFE HAVENS rescues. The average cost is $30 per day. He is also looking to open four different buildings that can be used as shelter.
He is also looking to rent a building on North Main Street in Providence. He’s working on the insurance and staffing. It will have a capacity of approximately 40. The DaVinci Center is no longer able to be used as an overnight shelter – it is a great loss at this coldest month of the year. Hirsch said, “we do need an alternative given the pathetic lack of city and state action. Let’s talk about how we can support the opening of the building on North Main.”
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Telling one story – we say her name. Karen.
Rising to tell your own story is never easy to do. After standing out in the cold at 8am waiting to be let into the building where the meeting was held, and sitting behind the committee for an hour of report outs to each other by officials, all sitting around a table,
Thank you, Nancy. I haven’t seen anything on the Dignity Bus and funding in quite some time.
Dan Ford called it a ‘failure’. I don’t think that those who slept there considered it a failure.
The failure is when there is no money in the budget to help these people. They are forgotten at budget time. These are human beings. There is money in the budget for the nice to haves but no money for the need to have.
Thank you,
Did the Dignity Bus ever get funding from RI Housing? I was reading an article from August, 2024.
When Pryor was the “Czar”, you were waiting for the ROI report and never received it. I have to ask – what did he do to earn his $200K salary? He was always in a photo op but did he do anything? I don’t see any new shelters under his watch.
There seems to be a revolving door of administrators who rotate yearly. The Governor needs to hire people who will commit to the job and the people it serves or nothing will ever get done.
The advocates are earthly angels who ask for nothing but give so much in return.
It did receive funding. And then closed when their funding ran out. It, as we understand it, just received another, less than a year, round of funding and has reopened.
Just to make sure people know Lew Pryeor no relation
thank you for informing the public about this struggle and inhumane journey for hundreds of needy residents.
I definitely agree!
My son is homeless please find him!🙏🩷
Thank you for this important report which documents our government’s failure to save lives during this homelessness emergency. We must demand a humane response to people who are out in the freezing cold!
I definitely agree!!
Hey, my name is Marquis, I am a recovery specialist Outreach worker and a residential assistant here in Rhode Island I’m interested in supporting the efforts in the North Main Street apartment building…
[email protected]
Please help the people that have been outside all winter freezing! My son is 1 of those people!! Please post here before you fill up that building so I can reach out to my son somehow and tell him he won’t have to freeze anymore!!