PROVIDENCE – Six community organizations were awarded a total of $3.5 million in state funding for the creation of 231 new shelter beds to support homeless individuals, Gov. Daniel J. McKee and R.I. Department of Housing Secretary Josh Saal announced Friday.
“Especially as the winter months approach, it is critically important that our community shelters have the capacity to ensure all Rhode Islanders have a safe, warm place to sleep at night,” McKee said in a statement. “We thank Rhode Island’s strong network of social service and housing organizations for responding to this solicitation quickly, and for doing the hard work of getting these beds operational.”
The funding is the first round of awards from a $5 million solicitation for proposals related to shelter expansion that was distributed to qualified vendors in early September, according to a news release. An additional 64 beds were funded this past summer through the Consolidated Homeless Fund.
The six organizations sharing in the current funding are:
- Amos House Family Shelter in Pawtucket: $1.3 million.
- Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center in Central Falls: $966,870.
- Thrive Behavioral Health Inc. in West Warwick: $827,103.
- Westerly Area Rest Meals Center in Westerly: $220,103.
- Sojouner House Inc. in Providence: $180,899.
- Catholic Social Services of Rhode Island in Providence: $20,000.
“We are pleased to deliver a high-impact level of funding to support fully planned projects less than a month after our request for proposals was distributed,” Saal said in a statement. “While our long-term goal is to take a comprehensive approach that diverts people from homelessness and ultimately functionally ends homelessness in Rhode Island entirely through the creation of supportive housing, expanding shelter capacity provides much-needed, immediate relief for individuals and families experiencing homelessness today.”
