Homeless in RI: Providence Councilors open up Chambers overnight. Mayor opposes action.

Photo: Providence City Council

Late in the day on Tuesday, the Providence City Council, led by Councilors Justin Roias & Miguel Sanchez made a decision to keep the City Council Chambers open throughout the night “for the homeless to stay warm” and for as long as they need it. They offered transportation to shelter beds, if any were found to be available. Not calling it a “shelter” or a “warming center”, they refer to the space as holding a community gathering. In lieu of state action, Providence City Councilors said they are committed to doing what they can to support unhoused community through both direct action and compassionate, housing first policy. 

It was unclear how many people came by and/or stayed for part or all of the night. We “tweeted” to both Councilors who were active in the early morning hours on “X”, but did not receive a response.

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The use of the building or chambers drew an immediate response from Mayor Smiley

“I oppose tonight’s action by the City Council. City Hall does not have the resources, expertise or proper facilities to serve as an emergency shelter. The City is supporting multiple emergency warming shelters across Providence with available beds that are professionally staffed with the resources and tools our unhoused vulnerable population needs. Opening City Hall as a shelter disrespects the hard work of our community partners who have the expertise to adequately provide support for our community and this action distracts from the serious solutions the City and our qualified partners have been leading to support our unhoused populations”.

Early morning on Wednesday – how did the night go?

Councilor Justin Roias, LCSW, MSW posted this reflective on “X” at approximately 2am:

“Tonight, I am deeply moved by the volunteers who have stepped up to support our unsheltered neighbors across this city. These are people who work as homeless outreach workers, social workers, shelter managers, public health experts, and harm reduction specialists. Tonight, they showed up in their personal capacities to ensure that those resting in the council chambers feel safe and warm. I also want to thank our council staff, who made this happen in under 24 hours, and the Providence Police and EMS teams, who acted with professionalism and care.

To my colleagues in city and state government who offered their support—thank you. This kind of care and action should not take a crisis to spark. What’s happening tonight is about more than providing shelter—it’s about saving lives. It’s about ensuring that no one in this city is left without a place to feel safe, warm, and human. And while I’m inspired by the collective care I’ve seen tonight, I feel the need to explain why Councilman Miguel Sanchez and I made the decision to open the council chambers to our unhoused neighbors. The truth is, we had no other choice.

Emergency shelter beds in this city and state are virtually nonexistent. Yes, there are three warming centers open in Providence—but let’s be clear about what those actually are. At these centers, people are sitting upright in chairs all night. They’re out of the cold, but they cannot lie down, rest their heads, or stretch out. They spend hours sitting, barely able to relax, let alone recover. This is not humane. It’s not acceptable. And it’s certainly not a solution. Asking someone to endure a night of sitting upright—even indoors—only highlights the inadequacy of our current response.

What we need are actual emergency shelter beds: spaces where people can lie down, rest, and reclaim some measure of dignity. And yet, city and state officials have blurred the line, treating chairs as if they’re good enough. They’re not. We’ve been sold the idea that “better than nothing” is all we can aim for, and that needs to stop. It’s a cruel reminder of how little we’ve done.

Tonight, I spoke with a man who asked me, almost hesitantly, if it was really possible for him to lie down and stretch out on one of the benches in the council chambers. When I said yes, he looked shocked and deeply grateful. He told me he had just come from a warming center where he’d been sitting for hours, his legs swelling painfully. All he wanted was the chance to lie down and rest. That this was a surprise to him is both heartbreaking and enraging. No one should be astonished at the opportunity to simply lie down at night.

Tonight, City Hall became what it should always strive to be: the people’s house. In this unconventional but absolutely necessary moment, we are sending a message to our most vulnerable neighbors—the ones who are often forgotten—that they matter, that their lives have value, and that their humanity is seen. This is what it looks like to actually care for one another, and I am proud to be part of a city that, in its rarest moments, can rise to the occasion. To those in power who think warming centers are enough: they’re not. Pay attention to what happened tonight. Pay closer attention to what happens tomorrow. This is what it looks like to show up. This is what it means to do better. Anything less is a betrayal of the people you claim to serve.

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Josh Estrella, Director of Communications for the Mayor provided a statement as well, speaking to what the city has and is doing to respond to the homeless crisis:

“The City has invested deeply in support of housing for individuals experiencing homelessness and is dedicated to implementing a comprehensive strategy to address homelessness through strategic collaboration with various social services and our partners in government. The establishment of the City’s Housing and Human Services Department has enhanced our ability to collaborate with key partners to support the short and long-term needs of our community and establish a multi-pronged approach to supporting the development of affordable housing. 

Since May of 2023, the Smiley Administration has committed more than $6 million of additional funding to expand shelter beds and transitional housing, creating over 180 new beds in Providence through financial support or permitting assistance. The City has worked extensively with outreach teams to ensure that the unhoused individuals are continuously offered appropriate shelter referrals where available, behavioral health support and service referrals and ahead of the extreme weather has worked with our partners to ensure that multiple warming centers are open with available capacity for those who need it. 

We also recognize that a focus on the development of new housing is critical to ensuring that shelter beds aren’t needed. We have also invested over $55M through the Housing Trust Fund to support the creation and preservation of more than 1,600 affordable units, including more than 200 permanent-supportive housing units under construction. These efforts and updates to our Comprehensive Plan will help streamline permitting and increase affordable housing options in Providence.”

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The original press release sent out from the Councilors who opened the Chambers – Providence City Councilors Open Council Chamber for Overnight Warmth During Polar Vortex 

Councilors Sanchez and Roias are Calling for a Public Health State of Emergency 

As frigid temperatures sweep across Rhode Island, Providence City Councilors Justin Roias and Miguel Sanchez will open the City Council Chamber tonight at 7 pm to host a community gathering space away from the cold. Councilors Sanchez and Roias have worked closely with local homelessness service providers to ensure trained volunteers will be on-hand throughout the night, continuing to provide the space for as long as residents need it. Those who come by will be offered transportation and assistance accessing shelter beds, should they be available. 

In the past year alone, 54 unhoused residents have lost their lives living outside. Councilors Sanchez and Roias are taking this action to help save lives. 

“As a polar vortex grips Providence, many of our unhoused neighbors are being forced to sleep outside in dangerous temperatures,” said Councilor Justin Roias (Ward 4). “With only two 24/7 emergency shelters open, the response from the mayor and governor has been woefully inadequate. This failure has left us no choice but to take the unprecedented step of opening the City Council chambers as a community gathering space where folks are able to stay warm during freezing temperatures.” 

“As local elected leaders, we cannot allow our neighbors to freeze to death on our streets,” said Councilor Miguel Sanchez (Ward 6). “No one in our city should endure these deadly conditions because of a failure of government to protect its people. We call on the mayor and governor to immediately expand emergency shelter capacity and commit to long-term solutions to address homelessness in our community. This is a preventable crisis, and every moment of inaction puts lives at risk. We’re calling on Governor McKee to declare a Public Health Emergency by executive order immediately.” 

Unhoused Rhode Islanders are in crisis. The recently released 2024 Point in Time Count, compiled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, reports that Rhode Island has the second highest rate of chronic homelessness in the nation. 

Councilors Roias and Sanchez are demanding life-saving action from the state, calling on Governor Dan McKee to declare homelessness a state of emergency for public health and unlock essential resources for short- and long-term relief and care for unhoused individuals.