The state of homelessness in Rhode Island remains grim, according to a newly released report from the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness. More people reported experiencing homelessness this year than in 2023, and vulnerable groups, like families and people living outside, have seen particularly sharp increases.
“Shelters are overcrowded. Advocates are overwhelmed,” Wilma Smith, an advocate with lived experience of homelessness said at a news conference on Tuesday night. “And trying to get folks indoors before the reality of winter sets in. It’s unthinkable.”
Every year, a coalition of service providers and volunteers conducts a federally mandated census of the homeless population in Rhode Island, called a point-in-time count. The Coalition to End Homelessness uses those numbers, collected on a single night in January, to chart how homelessness changes year over year. This year’s point-in-time count showed that the number of homeless people in the state increased by 35% in 2023, to 2,442 people.
This story was reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.
