Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Rhode Island
‘Crisis,’ or ‘best practice?’ Why advocates are split on RI’s new homeless system
RI Gov. Dan McKee discusses plans to eliminate tax on Social Security
He announced his plan to get rid of the tax on Social Security income at Edward King House Senior Center in Newport on March 16.
Last year, the state made a major change in how it helps homeless people, or people at risk of becoming homeless, find housing.
Rather than using a single phone line for people to call, on Oct. 1, 2025, the state switched to “regional access points,” or seven hubs located throughout Rhode Island designed to be one-stop shops to connect at-risk people and families with shelter and supportive services.
Five months later, are the regional access points succeeding in their mission?
That depends on whom you ask.
Advocates say regional access points not working
The advocates and volunteers who worked in the Providence area during the bitterly cold winter to ferry unsheltered people to pop-up emergency shelters say no.
Nancy Krahe, a retired Providence teacher and advocate for the Rhode Island Housing First Coalition, is one of a handful of volunteers who placed calls to regional access points, or RAPs, over the last few months.
She and others documented calls going unanswered, messages remaining unreturned and various RAPs reporting that the beds in their communities were full.
“You could have 15 people answering the phone. If there are no beds available, why are we funding a RAP?” Krahe said. “These people are giving up.”
State argues that regional access points are a best practice
The state, however, argues that RAPs are a “nationwide best practice” that serve as entry points to housing and other services, such as case management, mental health and substance-use treatment, as well as other supports.
“RAPs are structured as comprehensive, community-based service hubs that reduce system bottlenecks and improve responsiveness by offering a more accessible entry system for those experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness,” Emily Marshall, spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Housing, said in an email.
According to Marshall, “RAPs are structured as broad service hubs, better equipped to assess needs, provide referrals, and connect individuals to housing supports beyond emergency shelter, which helps individuals and families prevent homelessness before it begins,” she continued.
From October through December, shelter enrollments increased by approximately 38% from the prior year, “suggesting that more Rhode Islanders in need are successfully accessing shelter through this model,” she said.
Model relies on people physically visiting the access points
Still, Krahe and other volunteers grumble about unanswered calls and staff bouncing callers from one RAP to the next. What, they ask, if a person doesn’t have a phone or transportation to travel to a RAP?
“The reality is, even if someone answered the phone, there’s no housing,” Paula Hudson, executive director of Better Lives Rhode Island. The response callers get is “full, full, full.”
Ideally, Marshall said, individuals should physically visit a RAP instead of placing a call.
“The emphasis is on building a stronger, person-centered connection that allows staff to fully understand someone’s situation and identify the most appropriate next steps, which may not always be shelter,” she said.
She stressed that anyone in Rhode Island can seek assistance at any RAP location, and that they can access the state’s emergency shelter system by going directly to a shelter or by calling United Way’s 211 line.
“If someone is unable to travel to a site, RAP staff can coordinate with Street Outreach Teams to meet unsheltered individuals where they are, at a time and location that works for them,” she said.
She acknowledged that RAP phone lines are not staffed around the clock, but noted that they provide more hours than their predecessor, the single-line coordinated entry system that led to delays in people accessing shelter, she said.
How is the system working in Woonsocket?
At the RAP operated by Community Care Alliance in Woonsocket, messages seeking housing are forwarded by email to a handful of staff. The agency has seen 950 unique contacts since the system launched and makes “every effort” to call people back, said Michelle Taylor, vice president of social health services at Community Care Alliance.
According to Taylor, the problem with the system is that it exists in a state with a lack of affordable housing.
“There just isn’t enough housing to be had, affordable housing. The wait list is backed up. All of us are working as hard as we can,” Taylor said.
And as temperatures climb, winter shelters will close, making the situation even more dire, she said.
“There’s no more room at the inn. We can’t take anyone,” Taylor said, adding “We all have limits based on our facilities and our ability to meet the needs.”
She noted, too, that the state does not have a RAP servicing the Warwick region.
How is the system working in Westerly?
The WARM Center in Westerly is caring for people as far off as West Warwick, said Amy Santiago, the organization’s regional access point navigator. A Journal reporter’s call to the line received a response within minutes, as did the call to Woonsocket.
Santiago and another staffer take the phone home with them at night and on weekends and respond to calls well into the evening, she said.
“There’s no one who doesn’t get a call back,” Santiago said. “I try to give them a dose of hope, but I can’t give shelter I do not have.”
She’s seen the needs climb during the housing crisis due to unscrupulous landlords, and others who are decent but simply can’t afford the taxes.
“We have more homeless families in this state than ever before,” she said.
Santiago tries to locate beds for callers wherever they may be in the state, she said. They transport people to shelters and hospitals if needed and try to travel to people who don’t have a phone to provide case management.
“We take them. We all have cars,” she said.
Newport Mental Health provides RAP services
The Newport Mental Health RAP is providing services, not only to Newport and Bristol County but to anyone who calls, according to David Boscia, chief clinical director.
Data shows that 98% of the calls to the line are answered and voicemails generally receive a response within 5½ minutes, he said. The agency also operates a 24-hour crisis line.
Partaja Spann, who manages the Newport RAP, said staffers first work with callers to see if there is someone they could stay with and, if not, can sometimes offer space at their warming center. They also have access to a list of available shelter beds and can arrange to secure one and pick up and transport an individual, regardless of the location, she said.
“From my standpoint, it’s a really positive change,” Boscia said. “I’m not saying it’s perfect, but it’s much easier.”
Where are Rhode Island’s RAPs?
The state has contracted with service providers to operate the RAPs. Here’s where, how much the contract is for, and a phone number, if available:
Community Care Alliance: $246,000
Crossroads: $1.2 million
Newport Mental Health: $210,000
OpenDoors: $113,000
Shower to Empower (House of Hope): $400,000
Sojourner House: $150,000
WARM Center Inc.: $300,000
‘It’s a humanitarian crisis’
In the view of Harrison Tuttle, warming center coordinator for “Operation No One Dies” – a new effort by the Rhode Island State Council of Churches to provide beds for people in need – the RAPs aren’t working.
Volunteers reached out to various RAPs and were told “please don’t” refer people to shelters in their community, he said.
“They’re not working very well. … The state doesn’t have enough infrastructure,” Tuttle said. “There’s not enough beds.”
Tuttle would like to see all the stakeholders together in the same room “to develop a plan that meets the needs of the population.”
“I just want people to be safe,” he said. “It’s a humanitarian crisis.”
On Friday, May 1, Bravo posted a mid-season preview to YouTube, giving fans a glimpse at the drama still to come during the franchise’s first season in the Ocean State.
Which ‘Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ stars want to do Season 2?
Reporter Paul Edward Parker asks cast members of the “Real Housewives of Rhode Island” if they’re up for another season of the Bravo TV show.
Paul Edward Parker
Enjoying “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” so far? Buckle up – it’s about to get even juicier.
On Friday, May 1, Bravo posted a mid-season preview to YouTube, giving fans a glimpse at the drama still to come during the franchise’s first season in the Ocean State. As expected, the season will continue to follow major developing plotlines, including the fallout from Rulla Pontarelli’s reported husband’s affair and the strained relationship between Rosie DiMare and Kelsey Swanson.
However, the trailer also hints that the season will take some unexpected twists and turns, with new arguments rising between friendly cast members and personal issues coming to a head for many of the women.
Here’s a sneak peek at the rest of Season 1 of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”
What happened in ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ mid-season preview?
According to the mid-season preview, the rest of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” Season 1 will include many more fights between the cast members. Swanson and DiMare’s screaming matches will continue, with the trailer showing DiMare telling Swanson “Everyone in f***ing Rhode Island knows you f*** married men.”
Surprisingly, disagreements will also rise between LizMcGraw and Alicia Carmody, as well as McGraw and Jo-Ellen Tiberi. McGraw is shown telling Tiberi to get out of her face, with Tiberi storming after her yelling “what did I do?”
Meanwhile, Ashley Iaconetti will continue to struggle under the financial and emotional burden of Audrey’s, with her and husband Jared Haibon discussing their decision to renew the lease or not. After her breakup, Swanson will have to decide if her new man is worth giving up her financial comfort, while Tiberi will finally have a tough conversation with her mother.
As for Pontarelli, it seems that Tiberi will make good on her episode five promise of finding concrete proof of Brian Pontarelli’s reported affair, with multiple housewives discussing video proof in the trailer. After Pontarelli reveals to the group that Brian was arrested for tracking her, the trailer ends with the question looming over everyone’s heads: “Rulla, what are you gonna do?”.
How to watch ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’
Want to see how all the drama unfolds? “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” will air every Sunday at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
Watch ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ on Peacock
Episodes will be available for next-day streaming each Monday on Peacock.
Local News
A West Warwick resident captured video of the white-robed figure wandering around town early Monday morning.
Police in Rhode Island say they’ve confirmed that videos of a person walking around a town in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood were part of a hoax for social media, not the work of an organized group.
Social media videos appeared to show the person walking around West Warwick while dressed in white robes and a pointed hood. The incident happened on Main Street at around 2 a.m. Monday, according to West Warwick police.
Detectives have since learned that the event was a stunt orchestrated by two brothers “to generate attention on social media and in the news,” police said on Facebook. The perpetrators admitted their involvement to police and “provided conclusive evidence” that they were the only ones responsible for the hoax.
The individuals “explicitly denounced” affiliation with hate groups, and police said that the investigation has yielded “no evidence to suggest otherwise.” For now, the investigation has been closed.
“The West Warwick Police Department would like to thank members of the community who came forward with information,” police said. “Thorough investigations such as this often rely on community involvement, and we appreciate the public’s cooperation and assistance.”
Video captured by Ryan Fitzgerald showed the hooded figure wandering around the Arctic Gazebo before heading down the street. Fitzgerald told The Boston Globe that he thought the person was “just messing around” but noted that it was indicative of broader issues.
“There’s a lot of undisclosed racism that goes on here. I hear about it all the time,” Fitzgerald told the Globe. “So it wouldn’t be shocking to me if it wasn’t a prank, and it wasn’t a hoax, and it was really somebody that really was about that kind of life.”
Rhode Island House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi visited Newport on April 27 as the keynote speaker at a panel discussion about the need to develop more housing on Aquidneck Island.
Shekarchi was joined by Middletown Town Administrator Shawn Brown, Raytheon government relations and site executive Tim DelGuidice, and NOAA relocation project manager Matthew Hill.
On an island where the largest employers are Naval Station Newport and the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and over 20,000 people work in defense-related jobs, the need for workforce housing is a particularly acute component of the crisis. A report published by the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce said Newport and the surrounding region need to build 6,000 to 9,000 housing units to keep up with workforce demand.
NOAA broke ground in 2024 at the future home of its Marine Operations Center-Atlantic base on a five-acre site on Naval Station Newport, and the $150 million project is scheduled to be completed in 2027. Hill said upwards of 250 federal employees and their families will be relocating to Rhode Island after their current base in Norfolk, Virginia, is closed and NOAA’s new facility at Naval Station Newport is completed.
“That provides justification for these developers to go out and secure funds,” said Hill. “You have 250 people coming here for certain, with stable incomes, so these developments can start to move forward.”
Shekarchi spoke about the adaptive reuse bill signed into law by the state legislature three years ago, which was intended to make it easier for municipalities to convert old hospitals, factories and schools into housing.
“There’s a lot of municipal land, a lot of municipal buildings that could be converted into housing, that for whatever reason has been resisted by local communities,” he said.
The Oliphant and Green End proposals voted down by the Middletown Town Council in 2024 would have been such adaptive reuse projects. Shekarchi did not explicitly mention those proposals, but he suggested the Newport Jai Alai site, which he described as “desolate” in its current state, could be ideal for mixed-use commercial and residential development.
“There is so much opposition in all of our communities,” Rep. Michelle McGaw told Newport This Week. “I don’t think people recognize that it’s their children, it’s their grandchildren, people who grew up here and want to stay here and raise their families here but cannot afford to do so.”
“We’re not only looking at people at 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI); there is a huge gap between what people are earning and what they can afford.”
Rhode Island AMI is approximately $112,000. So, a one-person household earning about $65,000, 80 precent AMI, would qualify for affordable housing.
DelGuidice said Raytheon’s workforce, especially its younger employees, would benefit from new development on the island.
“In five years, I’d love to see that we’ve closed that gap of 9,000 units, and we’ve got more of our employees able to live closer to work and not have a 45-minute or hour-long commute,” he said.
Stressing Aquidneck Island’s need for housing across all income levels, Brown highlighted Middletown’s approach of purchasing 6.2 acres of land in order to develop 36 middle-income housing units across the street from town hall. However, he said 36 planned new homes is a fraction of the island’s collective need, and he highlighted the importance of the island’s municipalities, the Navy, and private industry cooperatively maintaining and improving the island’s infrastructure in order to be able to build new housing developments.
He pointed to Middletown and Newport’s cooperative efforts on wastewater management as an example of the unseen infrastructure work necessary to maintain and expand the island’s housing supply. He cited shared island infrastructure as a critical area where state support is necessary in order to create new housing stock.
“We’re land-restricted, and we have a lot of conservation easements on Aquidneck Island, which is another challenge,” Brown said. “It is going to be these areas that are either infilled or redeveloped. That is where additional housing is going to come from, and we are going to need that wastewater management capacity in order to do a lot of these developments.”
“The speakers today were very strong on the fact that we need all kinds of housing, not just higher income or middle income,” Rep. Lauren Carson told Newport This Week following the meeting. “We really need to address the broader issues here. I have confidence that policymakers, myself, the speaker and city leaders across the island know what has to happen.”
-
Politics6 minutes agoN.I.H. Reinstates Employee Put on Leave After Criticizing Trump Research Cuts
-
Business12 minutes agoSchwab Affiliate Halts Customer Donations to Southern Poverty Law Center
-
Science18 minutes agoHow Running Shoes Have Evolved, From Ancient Greece to a Record-Breaking Marathon Time
-
Health24 minutes agoThe 4 Best Foods That Curb Your Hunger and Shut Down Cravings Fast
-
Lifestyle42 minutes agoCan the Costume Institute Survive Without the Met Gala?
-
Education48 minutes agoCornell President’s Car Bumps Into Students After Confrontation Over Gaza
-
Technology54 minutes agoSplatoon Raiders preorders for the Switch 2 are nearly 20 percent off
-
World60 minutes agoBus plunges into river after trainee driver crash, massive rescue response: reports