The city of Woonsocket is moving forward with a new ordinance that makes it illegal to camp on public property and carries a fine of up to $250 for repeat violators.
Critics say the change is going to harm unhoused people who will be burdened with legal troubles and fines they can’t pay. Months after West Warwick passed a similar ordinance, in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that opened the door to these kinds of laws, advocates said that dozens of people had been displaced.
The Public’s Radio morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with Bonnie Piekarski, a community activist and founder of the Milagros Project, a Woonsocket-based group that serves people experiencing poverty and homelessness, to learn more.
(Editor’s Note: Woonsocket Mayor Christopher Beauchamp and City Council President Daniel Gendron did not respond to requests for comment.)
Interview Highlights
On why Piekarski is worried about the new city ordinance
Bonnie Piekarski: I’m troubled by the new ordinance because we know how many people are experiencing homelessness right now in the city of Woonsocket who are completely unhoused. As an outreach worker and an advocate for these folks, it’s deeply troubling because it’s going to exacerbate an already difficult situation.
Getting court fines, as we know, they’re probably not going to get paid, and they will eventually result in a warrant and get these folks into the justice system. And so that’s definitely going to impair them more than they already are with the struggles that they’re going through.
On the state of homelessness in Woonsocket
Piekarski: The change that we’ve seen in homelessness is specifically that we’re starting to see more families.
The (RI Kids Count) fact book actually just came out and about over 300 children were identified as homeless by the school (department.) So that’s quite an increase of young people that we’ve been seeing.
Homelessness: again, a lot more families (are affected) because of rent increases. We have a median income of $49,000 in the city of Woonsocket, which is almost impossible to pay the rents that are now the average rent in the city.
The increase that we’re seeing is (because), you know, a lack of affordable housing. Even though Woonsocket always boasts that it is exceeding the 10% [goal of affordable housing,] there just simply needs to be more because the city just has so much poverty.
On how she would advise Woonsocket Mayor Christopher Beauchamp
Piekarski: You know, it’s hard to say, but I definitely would allow builders to come in with affordable housing.
We are blessed to have NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley — they build affordable housing in the city and throughout the state — and we have a lot of open properties that could definitely be renovated.
So I would encourage more affordable housing for folks in the community. Again, I would expand the beds at (the OpenDoors shelter.) Right now, it’s limited to 50. That building has the capacity to hold a hundred, and I would definitely at least open it to 75 to start with, to engage and make sure that people get the services that they need.
