UPDATE: Warwick’s NYLO Hotel now a Crossroads RI shelter

UPDATE: As a follow-up to our story about the NYLO Hotel being closed to the public and leased by Crossroads RI as a hotel emergency shelter until spring of 2022, WPRO’s Gene Valicenti did an interview with Warwick Mayor Picozzi. Here is that interview: (CLICK on link just below graphic)

https://omny.fm/shows/the-news-with-gene-valicenti/12-07-21-warwick-mayor-frank-picozzi

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NBC10 did a follow up story last night where they interviewed neighbors and one resident – here is that interview. (CLICK on the link below to watch the video):

https://turnto10.com/news/local/neighbors-raise-crime-concerns-as-homeless-people-shelter-in-warwick-hotel

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The Boston Herald reported on Boston’s new Mayor Michelle Wu who had pledged to help the homeless who were living in tents to get off the street and into emergency housing. Wu is now saying that she has not put a timeline on her stated goal of eliminating the tent areas that have cropped up in Boston. Wu said she and her staff are searching for up to 200 beds to house people living in tents.

The Boston Herald says, “the now-vacant Best Western known as the Roxbury Roundhouse hotel was back in the mix as a potential location to place people after it was tabled following controversy when its use was first floated over the summer…

Victory Programs was looking to put up a couple dozen people in the vacant 200-room hotel but that “went down in flames in the face of near-unanimous community opposition. Critics say the plan contradicts efforts to decentralize addiction and homelessness support services, which are concentrated in the area.” – see full story here: https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/12/06/michelle-wu-has-no-timeline-for-clearing-tents-from-mass-and-cass-city-searching-for-200-homeless-beds/

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We contacted Representative David Bennett, who is the representative for that area of Warwick. His response is quoted, here:

” I understand the need for housing and the General Assembly has made this a top priority. I also understand how a lot of the Pontiac residents feel about having NYLO used as a shelter, they had a hard time with the agency before Crossroads and the illegal activities that went on in their neighborhood. The Governor and those involved with the contract did not notify the people in Pontiac about Crossroads moving homeless people into NYLO nor did they ask the City Council however I was told they were not obligated to do so. Crossroads is very good at running their programs and are good at not allowing the criminal element into these types of programs but time will tell. The people of Pontiac want their neighborhood to remain quiet and safe and you can’t blame them for this. The Warwick Police will keep up patrols and let the Pontiac Village Association know how it is going.” – Representative David Bennett RN

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From the Warwick Beacon, written by John Howell:

One hundred and forty people, who would otherwise be living on the street, have rooms at the NYLO Hotel in Pontiac. They and possibly more are guaranteed a room until March 31, 2022.

Neither the neighborhood nor the city had any say on the state administration’s decision to contract Crossroads Rhode Island to use the hotel as a winter residence for homeless. In fact, Mayor Frank Picozzi said Saturday, he knew nothing about it until notified by the police and that only came to their attention because of an incident.

The failure to notify the city was also on the top of Ward 8 Councilman Anthony Sinapi’s list. Sinapi learned of the development from the mayor. It wasn’t long before the neighborhood and the Pontiac Village Neighborhood Association was onto the news, too.

But Karen Santilli, Crossroads president and CEO, does not view NYLO as permanent housing. Rather, she sees the hotel as a step in a program to find permanent housing for those who are now on the street. The fact that so many homeless are housed in a single location enables Crossroads to concentrate its efforts. It’s already proven successful with the placement of two individuals in long-term housing.

“No one should have to live in a hotel or shelter,” Santilli said in an interview Monday. “We’re glad to have them (homeless) here and in a safe place.”

Responding to an email, Col. Bradford Connor, chief of Warwick Police, said Tuesday, “We are looking forward to the relationship with Crossroads and NYLO staff. Our Community Police Officers have open lines of communication with them so that we can work to solve problems before they happen. We did experience an uptick in calls for service last spring when the Amos House was at NYLO; which was highlighted by the B&E in the neighborhood which received media attention. Last week we had around 20 logged calls for service for the hotel, however 17 of those calls were self-initiated directed patrols conducted by our officers.”

Connor said the department outreach team “has done tremendous work to get our homeless population off of the street and out of tent cities.” 

“While the NYLO hotel might not be considered an ideal location by some, it does provide an opportunity for housing for our homeless population particularly as we head into the winter months,” Connor said.

Under the program funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Crossroads has a 24/7 presence at the hotel. Tenants are separated by gender by floor with the exception of couples. No children are being housed at the hotel and all tenants are 18 years old or older. A hot meal prepared by Amos House is provided daily. Tenants are responsible for their own laundry with the exception of sheets and towels that are changed weekly. Included in regulations is an 11 p.m. curfew that Crossroads is in the process of reviewing at the request of the Pontiac Association. Vaccinations are not required of tenants. A vaccination clinic is planned for NYLO and Santilli is looking to have tenants fully vaccinated.

Crossroads previously used NYLO room

Management of NYLO for the homeless is not a first for Crossroads.

Santilli explained that when the governor shutdown the state in March 2020, NYLO was considered a means of distancing homeless, as compared to open shelters such as Harrington Hall. Crossroads ran the program through July when funding for congregate shelters ceased. The state looked for Crossroads to reopen that fall. It didn’t happen in 2020.

“We didn’t have the staff to run all our existing shelters,” Santilli said.

Amos House took over the NYLO program and operated it until NYLO converted back to a hotel. With the fall of 2021, NYLO was again available as a shelter and Crossroads took on the contract.

Since Nov. 1 when Crossroads started operation, Sinapi said police have responded to a domestic call and an overdose. He has received a call from a resident who is fearful for his children and is now walking them to their bus stop because of people loitering along the route.

Sinapi said he will be talking with the School Department on the feasibility of having the stop relocated in front of the man’s home.

This is not the first experience residents and the city have had with the housing of homeless at NYLO, which according to reports is thus far going better than it did last year.

Last year at least two burglaries, an unknown number of overdoses and a case of prostitution were tied to NYLO tenants. After having been housed for the winter at the hotel many of the winter tenants stayed in the area with a corresponding increase of panhandlers on the major intersections in and around both malls and the Route 2 retail corridor.

Homeless have also pitched tents in the Route 2 divider under the Route 295 overpass and in the woods bordering the Pawtuxet River in East Natick.

Santilli said those people are now housed at NYLO.

The lesson learned from last year, said Sinapi, is for residents to contact police when they learn of or see a situation that demands attention.

“Call … call … call,” said Sinapi.

For whatever reason, even in cases where strangers were seen going on to private property, people didn’t report it to police and it got out of hand, Sinapi said.

Supports Crossroads

Patricia Picinich, president of the Pontiac Village Neighborhood Association, said Tuesday that members raised concerns over the 11 p.m. curfew, suggesting that it be earlier. From a personal perspective, Picinich is optimistic that Crossroads has the contract as they did a good job of running the hotel as a shelter when the pandemic first hit and that they are “well respected and the oldest (shelter operator) in the state … they do a good job.”

Picinich is likewise impressed by Warwick Police and their efforts in dealing with homeless and balancing that with community concerns.

“If my child was in that position (being on the street) I would want someone to provide a home for them,” she said

“It doesn’t help to keep people on the street,” she said.

Picinich said homelessness can lead to desperation and that can lead to crime.

“We definitely need to give them (homeless) a chance,” she said.

While she wasn’t able to attend the association meeting, state Sen. Kendra Anderson (District 31, Warwick) issued a statement after being asked of her opinion about the use of NYLO as a shelter.

“For so long states and local governments have not had the funding to provide folks with stable housing,” Anderson said. “Now with the large sums we’ve received from the federal government, it’s imperative that all those working on housing issues come together and create a comprehensive plan addressing the different stages of houselessness and its causes. It’s time we seriously address lack of affordable housing (and public housing), poverty, mental illness, and substance dependency. As that plan is being developed as a temporary measure this winter, we must find housing for folks in hotels, find land for House of Hope’s micro houses and other creative solutions so that no one dies because they have nowhere safe to sleep.”

Increased homelessness

Offering a bigger picture on homelessness, Angelina Deomme, spokeswoman for the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homeless, said the volume of homeless is “unprecedented at the moment, we have never seen these levels” of sheltered homeless and unsheltered homeless (people living out of cars, in tents, on the street or bouncing between friends’ homes).

She said the pandemic has closed doors to some homeless who could turn to relatives or friends. In addition, with the pandemic jobs disappeared, wages stagnated and housing prices and rents shot up.

Deomme said the state’s average rent for a one-bedroom apartment, if you can find it, is $1,600 a month, “which is crazy.”

“There’s not enough affordable housing,” she said. She reported the statewide-unsheltered count for Nov. 14 to Nov. 27 was 268. This compares to 181 unsheltered for the full month of January 2021 and 108 for pre-pandemic month of January 2020.

As for what’s happening in Pontiac, Deomme said, “These are our fellow neighbors. They’re not strangers. They just didn’t win the privileged lottery.”

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RINewsToday story from Dec 7th:

NYLO, a boutique hotel on Greenwich Avenue in Warwick, with 163 rooms is now closed to the public and under agreement to Crossroads RI for emergency hotel shelter use for those experiencing homelessness.

NYLO is across the street from the Warwick Mall, and next to Pontiac Mills. Hotel staff confirm it is fully booked. Crossroads confirmed the use of the hotel and that it had negotiated with the hotel from November through March of 2022 for all their rooms. (the facility says the lease runs through May of 2022).

From CrossroadsRI:

When asked for details about the cost of the project, Evan Englund, Managing Director of Nail Communications, working as a communications consultant for Crossroads RI responded to a request sent to Laura Calenda, Chief Marketing and Philanthropy Officer, and provided a quote “from Karen Santilli, Crossroads RI President and CEO: It is not certain, as the state is reimbursing costs rather than providing upfront funding. That said, we anticipate it will cost approximately $3 million for the five months Crossroads is scheduled to run the program”.

Earlier, Englund had provided this statement from Santilli: “In response to the increased number of people sleeping outside, the State recently asked Crossroads Rhode Island, the leading provider of housing and services to the homeless in the state, to assume management of a program designed to provide them with a safe place to stay through the cold winter months. Under the terms of the contract, which started on November 1, 2021 and runs through the end of March, FEMA dollars will be used to pay for up to 150 hotel rooms at a hotel in Warwick for people who are experiencing homelessness.

Consistent with its Housing First philosophy, Crossroads will focus on helping the hotel guests secure stable and affordable housing during their stay. In fact, we have already helped several people move out of the hotel and into permanent, affordable housing since taking over the program.” 

From NYLO:

When reached by phone Sunday evening, NYLO’s night manager confirmed the hotel was closed to the public and “rented to the state” through May of 2022, and that all rooms were occupied. She did not know how residents were getting to and from the hotel. She said the restaurant was closed and no events were planned.

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Last month, on November 3rd, Governor Dan McKee announced $5 million in funding to provide emergency shelter capacity to Rhode Island’s homeless service providers. The funding was for 275 emergency shelter beds as Rhode Island approached the winter months. The agencies chosen to operate the Winter Shelter program and “funded through these funds” are: the Community Care Alliance • Crossroads RI • Domestic Violence Resource Center • Emmanuel House • Harvest Community Church • Newport County Mental Health • and WARM.

268 people in Rhode Island were estimated at that time to be living “unsheltered” with approximately 1,064 people on a shelter waiting list.

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Office of Housing and Community Development

Pheamo Witcher, Housing Resources Coordinator at the RI Office of Housing and Community Development confirmed the project and said she believed the NYLO was the only full lease of a hotel in the program. When asked about costs, she referred back to Crossroads.

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Before NYLO, Sockanosset Crossroad overflow hospital site looked into

A source told RINewsToday that prior to securing NYLO, there was an ask made to the Carpionato Corporation’s “old Citizens Bank” building on Sockanosset Crossroad which is currently being leased by the State of Rhode Island (under federal money) as first a testing site, then an overflow hospital, and now a vaccination site, to use the facility to house the homeless on an emergency winter basis. The proposal was not accepted.

100 Sockanosset LLC has been paid approximately $335,208 per month since April of 2020, for a total of approximately $6,705,000.

About NYLO:

NYLO is part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, though their corporate office says they are independently owned and operated. Contact with local owners by Hilton on behalf of our request for more detailed information has not been returned. The NYLO group have 5 U.S. locations, with 1 in Rhode Island that was opened in 2008, with urban styled guestrooms combining old buildings with modern design. They have 162 guest rooms/suites and 3 meeting rooms and a restaurant. Rooms range from 575 sq. ft. Pawtuxet River view Suites with separate living area, signature décor, oversized windows, 10 foot ceilings, and a 60-inch TV to 300 sq. ft. industrial chic king-bed rooms with 10 foot ceilings, and a 50-inch TV. Their website says they have a full fitness center and the Loft Restaurant and Bar serves dinner Tuesday to Saturday evenings and breakfast each morning (the hotel says the restaurant and bar area is closed).

This is a developing story.

As we go to press, specific questions remain unanswered such as what are the conditions for people to stay at NYLO, is there a time limit, how many people have been placed in more permanent housing who have stayed there, what other hotels have multiple rooms being used or planned for, what is the breakdown of individuals vs. families, children, etc. staying at hotels, are there rooms in downtown Providence hotels, what is the estimated total cost of this hotel room method through spring of 2022, what notification was given to the Warwick community and neighboring businesses and homes, etc.

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Senator Cynthia Mendes who has been staging a sleep-in outside in front of the RI State House, and is running for Lt. Governor with Gubernatorial candidate, Matt Brown, has been speaking out on behalf of the unhoused. Prior to Monday’s announcement of the release of “Rhode Island Rebounds” funding, Mendes said, when asked specifically what she was asking Gov. McKee to do: “There are ways to do this if they were prepared, if there was a sense of urgency. It would take 1% of Rhode Island’s $1.1 billion in American Rescue Plan funds “to put all of the folks who are un-housed in hotels this winter,” she said. “That is just one example of many.” 

During the Monday press event, Sen. Mendes left the room suddenly. When reached after the meeting by various members of the media, she said to WPRO’s Steve Klamkin (posted on Twitter): “Way too little, way too late…by the time legislators vote and start spending the money, it will be next year and people will be freezing.”

RINewsToday has asked Mendes what specifics need to happen for her to end the sleep-out. She did not respond except to say that we should come down to the State House at night to talk to her.