Economic Policy Institute - Providence Business News

STUCK IN NEUTRAL: Woonsocket City Council Vice President Valerie Gonzalez, left, and Michelle Taylor, an official at the nonprofit Community Care Alliance, stand with the “Dignity Bus.” The city used $150,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act aid to purchase the 20-bed emergency shelter for the homeless last year, and the alliance operated it. But funding for ongoing costs ran out and the bus has been dormant since May 31. Gonzalez says more funding is coming.  PBN PHOTO/ PAUL J. SPETRINI

WINDFALL WOES: Some R.I. communities slow to deploy ARPA millions before...

Coronavirus 08/16/2024

When Rhode Island cities and towns were awarded more than $500 million in COVID-19 relief money three years ago, it was a welcome infusion...

STALLED: Woonsocket spent $150,000 in COVID-relief aid on a 20-bed emergency shelter for the homeless last year. But the bus is now stalled until money for operating costs is identified. Pictured from the left are City Council Vice President Valerie Gonzalez and Michelle Taylor, a representative of the nonprofit Community Care Alliance.  PBN FILE PHOTO/ PAUL J. SPETRINI

Time to decide on local COVID-relief projects

Editorial and Op-Ed 08/16/2024

When local communities were awarded more than $500 million from the federal government three years ago, it was as close to found money as...

An opportunity for business, higher ed to collaborate

Education 11/26/2021

(Editor’s note: This essay is part of PBN’s 35th anniversary publication, which can be viewed here.) “Workforce development” is arguably the most important social challenge...

Groups call for timely distribution of funds from R.I.’s ARPA allocation

Business Services 09/24/2021

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s businesses and organizations are calling on Gov. Daniel J. McKee and the state's legislative leaders to allocate a portion of...

MATTHEW WELDON, director of the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, says communication with the unemployed people who have lost their federal unemployment benefits is crucial to get them matched up with a job. / PBN FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Getting the unemployed to take unfilled jobs isn’t so simple

Economy 09/10/2021

About 45,000 Rhode Islanders have lost their federal unemployment benefits, but prodding them back into the workforce to ease a labor shortage in some...

THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION, with the support of the Economic Progress Institute and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, is launching a new initiative to develop recommendations on how the state can spend the federal stimulus it is expected to receive from the American Rescue Plan Act. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION

R.I. Foundation launches initiative to develop recommendations for state on stimulus...

Coronavirus 04/07/2021

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Foundation announced Wednesday that, with the support of the Economic Progress Institute and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council,...