Latest news with #AmosHouse
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shelter beds at risk in R.I. if state doesn't fill housing budget gap, advocates warn
Mia Negron, 2, sits atop her father Luis' shoulders at a State House rally on May 27, 2025. The family became unhoused when Mia was an infant in 2023. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) Luis Negron stood in the State House rotunda Tuesday afternoon among a crowd of 250 with his 2-year-old daughter Mia atop his shoulders holding a sign that said 'shelter was my lifeline.' Negron said that two years ago he, his partner, and then 3-month old daughter were evicted from their apartment and had to sleep in their car. 'We didn't know what to do,' he said in an interview inside the State House. They eventually connected with the Providence-based social service organization Amos House which got them into a shelter. Now his family lives in permanent supportive housing. Advocates fear Rhode Island's unhoused community could lose such critical lifelines if lawmakers fail to address a $17.8 million budget shortfall for homelessness services as they finalize the fiscal 2026 budget. Which is why Negron and his family were at the State House Tuesday afternoon, joining others in urging state leaders to fill that gap. 'Unfortunately, there's not enough money for everything that has to happen in our state,' Eileen Hayes, CEO of the Providence social service organization Amos House, told the crowd. 'But people whose lives are at risk should not be the ones that have to forfeit their needs.' Federal pandemic money has allowed Rhode Island to more than double its number of shelter beds since 2020, but with that funding now gone, advocates fear as many as 926 beds could be lost statewide. 'We need shelter beds to stay open while we build affordable housing for all,' Hayes said. According to the state, advocates' projections rely on outdated numbers. Rhode Island Department of Housing spokesperson Emily Marshall pointed to a request for proposals for homeless service providers issued by the state on May 7 which 'anticipates provider savings' which would reduce the number of beds that may have to come offline should the state not plug the department's budget. Marshall did not immediately provide an estimate on how many shelter beds the state would have to reduce. 'We remain committed to maintaining emergency shelter access within available funding while strategically investing in long-term solutions like affordable and permanent supportive housing,' Marshall said in an email Tuesday. The state's shelter dashboard notes a total of 1,514 beds available across the entire state, with 181 unused as of May 23. Advocates are urging state lawmakers to consider new taxes to help cover provider costs, including a tax on second homes, a higher real estate conveyance tax on property sales over $800,000, and increased income contributions from the state's highest earners. They are also calling on the General Assembly to approve Gov. Dan McKee's budget proposal to fund shelter beds by extending the state's 5% hotel tax to include short-term rental homes. McKee's recommended fiscal year 2026 budget calls on the state to eliminate the exemption whole-home short-term rentals have from the state's 5% hotel tax starting Jan. 1, 2026. The governor projects an annual revenue of roughly $5 million. Advocates supported a similar proposal McKee introduced as a budget amendment in 2024, but the General Assembly ultimately replaced it with its own $46 million plan which relied on remaining pandemic relief aid. The governor's plan also faced competition from municipalities that have historically received a quarter of the revenue from the state's hotel tax. Municipal interests are again vying for that expanded share of the fiscal pie. Legislation introduced by Sen. Matthew LaMountain, a Warwick Democrat, would maintain that existing split to towns, if McKee's proposal is approved. Rep. Lauren Carson, a Newport Democrat who chairs a legislative panel studying short-term rentals, has again proposed returning all of the revenue generated by a hotel tax on short-term rental houses exclusively for municipal infrastructure. 'If we don't have infrastructure and the stormwater not running and toilets not working, then the tourists ain't coming,' she said in an interview. And the potential tax revenue could always go toward funding homeless services, Carson said, it would just be up to the municipalities rather than the state. 'Newport is perfectly qualified to make decisions on homeless shelters and how to assist homeless people,' she said. Keeping housing decisions local is a preference of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, whose executive director said a cookie-cutter approach will not work with each municipality. 'Not one of my 39 communities are all the same, they're all unique,' Randy Rossi, executive director of the league, said in an interview. 'What Burrillville might need, Westerly may need something completely different.' Kimberly Simmons, executive director for the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, said she would prefer any potential revenue from the tax expansion end up in state coffers. 'The state has the ability to get it out evenly,' Simmons said in an interview. Carson's bill was heard before the House Committee on Finance on May 13 where it was held for further study, as is standard procedure for an initial vetting by a legislative panel. Companion legislation sponsored by Sen. Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat, was held by the Senate Committee on Finance on March 4. House Speaker K. Joseph Sheakrchi has not taken any official stance, but said he will continue to prioritize addressing homelessness in the final budget. 'In recent years, the General Assembly has gone above and beyond the Governor's budget requests for homeless assistance,' he said in a statement. 'Despite an extremely challenging budget year, homelessness will remain a priority of the legislature.' At least 2,442 unhoused people across Rhode Island were counted when volunteers conducted an annual survey in late January 2024 — up 35% from the 2023 count. The coalition conducted the annual Point-In-Time count for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this year on Jan. 28, but results aren't expected to be released until some time in the summer. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shelter beds at risk in R.I. if state doesn't fill housing budget gap, advocates warn
Mia Negron, 2, sits atop her father Luis' shoulders at a State House rally on May 27, 2025. The family became unhoused when Mia was an infant in 2023. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) Luis Negron stood in the State House rotunda Tuesday afternoon among a crowd of 250 with his 2-year-old daughter Mia atop his shoulders holding a sign that said 'shelter was my lifeline.' Negron said that two years ago he, his partner, and then 3-month old daughter were evicted from their apartment and had to sleep in their car. 'We didn't know what to do,' he said in an interview inside the State House. They eventually connected with the Providence-based social service organization Amos House which got them into a shelter. Now his family lives in permanent supportive housing. Advocates fear Rhode Island's unhoused community could lose such critical lifelines if lawmakers fail to address a $17.8 million budget shortfall for homelessness services as they finalize the fiscal 2026 budget. Which is why Negron and his family were at the State House Tuesday afternoon, joining others in urging state leaders to fill that gap. 'Unfortunately, there's not enough money for everything that has to happen in our state,' Eileen Hayes, CEO of the Providence social service organization Amos House, told the crowd. 'But people whose lives are at risk should not be the ones that have to forfeit their needs.' Federal pandemic money has allowed Rhode Island to more than double its number of shelter beds since 2020, but with that funding now gone, advocates fear as many as 926 beds could be lost statewide. 'We need shelter beds to stay open while we build affordable housing for all,' Hayes said. According to the state, advocates' projections rely on outdated numbers. Rhode Island Department of Housing spokesperson Emily Marshall pointed to a request for proposals for homeless service providers issued by the state on May 7 which 'anticipates provider savings' which would reduce the number of beds that may have to come offline should the state not plug the department's budget. Marshall did not immediately provide an estimate on how many shelter beds the state would have to reduce. 'We remain committed to maintaining emergency shelter access within available funding while strategically investing in long-term solutions like affordable and permanent supportive housing,' Marshall said in an email Tuesday. The state's shelter dashboard notes a total of 1,514 beds available across the entire state, with 181 unused as of May 23. Advocates are urging state lawmakers to consider new taxes to help cover provider costs, including a tax on second homes, a higher real estate conveyance tax on property sales over $800,000, and increased income contributions from the state's highest earners. They are also calling on the General Assembly to approve Gov. Dan McKee's budget proposal to fund shelter beds by extending the state's 5% hotel tax to include short-term rental homes. McKee's recommended fiscal year 2026 budget calls on the state to eliminate the exemption whole-home short-term rentals have from the state's 5% hotel tax starting Jan. 1, 2026. The governor projects an annual revenue of roughly $5 million. Advocates supported a similar proposal McKee introduced as a budget amendment in 2024, but the General Assembly ultimately replaced it with its own $46 million plan which relied on remaining pandemic relief aid. The governor's plan also faced competition from municipalities that have historically received a quarter of the revenue from the state's hotel tax. Municipal interests are again vying for that expanded share of the fiscal pie. Legislation introduced by Sen. Matthew LaMountain, a Warwick Democrat, would maintain that existing split to towns, if McKee's proposal is approved. Rep. Lauren Carson, a Newport Democrat who chairs a legislative panel studying short-term rentals, has again proposed returning all of the revenue generated by a hotel tax on short-term rental houses exclusively for municipal infrastructure. 'If we don't have infrastructure and the stormwater not running and toilets not working, then the tourists ain't coming,' she said in an interview. And the potential tax revenue could always go toward funding homeless services, Carson said, it would just be up to the municipalities rather than the state. 'Newport is perfectly qualified to make decisions on homeless shelters and how to assist homeless people,' she said. Keeping housing decisions local is a preference of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, whose executive director said a cookie-cutter approach will not work with each municipality. 'Not one of my 39 communities are all the same, they're all unique,' Randy Rossi, executive director of the league, said in an interview. 'What Burrillville might need, Westerly may need something completely different.' Kimberly Simmons, executive director for the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, said she would prefer any potential revenue from the tax expansion end up in state coffers. 'The state has the ability to get it out evenly,' Simmons said in an interview. Carson's bill was heard before the House Committee on Finance on May 13 where it was held for further study, as is standard procedure for an initial vetting by a legislative panel. Companion legislation sponsored by Sen. Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat, was held by the Senate Committee on Finance on March 4. House Speaker K. Joseph Sheakrchi has not taken any official stance, but said he will continue to prioritize addressing homelessness in the final budget. 'In recent years, the General Assembly has gone above and beyond the Governor's budget requests for homeless assistance,' he said in a statement. 'Despite an extremely challenging budget year, homelessness will remain a priority of the legislature.' At least 2,442 unhoused people across Rhode Island were counted when volunteers conducted an annual survey in late January 2024 — up 35% from the 2023 count. The coalition conducted the annual Point-In-Time count for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this year on Jan. 28, but results aren't expected to be released until some time in the summer. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Boston Globe
09-05-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Jon Batiste, Allyson Felix: Here are the people who will get honorary degrees at R.I. colleges and universities this year
Brown University Jon Batiste: The seven-time Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and composer will be receiving an honorary doctorate of music. Allyson Felix: The five-time Olympian who is the most decorated American track and field athlete in history is being honored with a doctorate of humane letters. Eileen Hayes: The longtime president and CEO of Amos House, the Rhode Island organization that offers employment programs and housing for people facing addiction, poverty, hunger, and homelessness, will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Suleika Jaouad: The Emmy Award-winning journalist and author of 'Between Two Kingdoms' and 'The Book of Alchemy' will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. William Kentridge: The South African artist known for his writing, drawing, and film work will receive an honorary doctorate of fine arts. Timothy Snyder: The leading historian on Ukraine, Central Europe, the Soviet Union and the Holocaust will receive an honorary doctorate of letters. Kevin Young: The acclaimed poet, essayist, poetry editor, and curator will receive an honorary doctorate of letters. Johnson & Wales University Greg Cook : The executive vice president and president of Institutional Group for Ecolab Inc. will receive a doctorate of business administration. Providence College Christopher K. Reilly: The co-founder of private investment firm, KarpReilly LLC, and the outgoing chair of the Providence College Board of Trustees will receive an honorary doctorate of business administration. The Most Rev. Richard G. Henning: The Catholic Archbishop of Boston will receive an honorary doctorate of sacred theology. Michael Cox: The 44th commissioner of the Boston Police Department will receive an honorary doctorate of public service. Ann Manchester-Molak: The retired executive vice president of Providence College will receive an honorary doctorate of communication. Judge Frank Caprio: The retired Providence Municipal Court judge will receive an honorary degree. Brother Ignatius Perkins: The founding director of the St. Martin de Porres, O.P. Center for Health and Human Dignity and professor of nursing at Providence College will receive an honorary doctorate of nursing. Ronald P. Stride: The retired senior vice president and managing partner-Asia for Booz Allen & Hamilton, a management consulting firm, will receive an honorary doctorate of business administration. Rhode Island College George Nee: The retired RI AFL-CIO labor leader will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Princess Sirleaf Bomba: The social justice and education advocate and director of equity, community, and belonging at The Wheeler School in Providence will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Bette Gallogly: The current shelter coordinator for Community Care Alliance will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Jocelyn Foye: The executive director and co-founder of The Womxn Project, the grassroots organization committed to advancing bodily autonomy, civic engagement, and equity, will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Maria Cimini: The director of the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Meghan Grady: The executive director of Meals on Wheels Rhode Island will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Roger Williams University Cole Brauer : The first American woman sailor to race solo nonstop around the world will receive a doctorate of humane letters. Joseph M. Brito Jr.: The entrepreneur, philanthropist, and president and CEO of C.B. Utility Co., Inc. and C. Brito Construction Co., Inc., will receive a doctorate of humane letters. Kevin M. Lynch: The chief of police in Bristol, R.I., will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Judge Clifton B. Newman: The retired South Carolina Circuit Court judge will receive an honorary doctorate of laws. University of Rhode Island Steven Feinberg: The executive director of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office will be honored with a doctorate of letters.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Homeless shelter for older adults opens in former Charlesgate nursing home in Providence
The former Charlesgate Nursing Center at 100 Randall St., Providence is shown in September 2024. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) The former Charlesgate Nursing Center in Providence reopened this week as the Rhode Island Department of Housing's first emergency shelter designed specifically for homeless adults aged 55 and up. State officials announced Thursday the opening of 16 beds at the former nursing home at 100 Randall St., with plans to eventually house about 40 older adults there by March. The shelter is managed by Amos House, a Providence nonprofit social service agency that provides services in Rhode Island for people who are hungry, homeless and in crisis. About 500 people aged 55 and older were counted across Rhode Island in 2024, according to an annual survey conducted by the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness last January. That represented roughly 20% of the 2,442 unhoused people counted last year. 'Last year, we made a strategic decision to acquire this property to better position the state to address homelessness in the long term — and we are already seeing positive results,' Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. The state officially acquired the property last October for $6.9 million. Unhoused people 55 and older will be selected to live in the building via referral through the state's Coordinated Entry System — a calling system designed to ensure people experiencing housing insecurity have 'fair and equal access' to shelter. Those staying at the shelter will receive meals, case management, medical support, and assistance toward finding more stable housing. Meet the woman in charge of ramping up housing production in Rhode Island The state entered a contract with Amos House to operate the senior shelter on Oct. 1, 2024. Amos House will be paid $1.2 million to provide meals, case management, medical support, and housing location assistance through Sept. 30, 2025. Under the agreement, Amos House is required to provide monthly performance measurement reports on the number of people receiving emergency shelter and how many have moved to more permanent housing. 'In the midst of our state's housing crisis, certain demographics are more vulnerable due to their specific housing needs,' Amos House President and CEO Eileen Hayes said in a statement. 'Many older adults needing emergency shelter can no longer live independently because of significant medical or behavioral health challenges.' The state set out to acquire the former Charlesgate Nursing Center after its owner, Davenport Associates Ltd., closed the nursing home in May 2023, citing staffing shortages. Since its closure, the state has leased 57 rooms in the building to shelter families, with support services administered by Amos House. The department's newest leader, Acting Secretary Deborah Goddard, told WJAR in January she agreed with using Charlesgate to shelter the homeless, but did not believe the state should own the building long-term. She walked back those comments a day later. 'The state of Rhode Island made the appropriate decision to purchase Charlesgate in response to an urgent shelter demand and does not have any plans to sell the property,' Goddard told WJAR. Goddard has served as acting housing director since Dec. 2. McKee wrote to the Rhode Island Senate on Nov. 24 requesting the chamber's advice and consent over her nomination. That request was formally placed in the Senate's journal on Jan. 28, but no hearing has yet been scheduled. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
