Homelessness

ADU - Accessory Dwelling Unit

AI - Analysis of Impediments (to fair housing)

AMI - Area Median Income

Librarians, especially in colleges and universities, create subject guides to aid students researching complex topics. Here are some examples - I haven't had time to check them yet. These came up in the first 10-15 links in DuckDuckGo. Some may be more useful than others. - SK 12/15/22

Housing First is an approach to ending homelessness first proposed by Sam Tsemberis, founder of Pathways to Housing in New York City.

Has anyone anywhere had real success in "ending homelessness"? It can never be completely eradicated, but one way to think about this is it can get to "Functional Zero."

What obstacles are in the way of solving this issue?

Rhode Island has been working to end homelessness for decades. What's going on here? Yes, ending homelessness is complex, but does it have to be so confusing?

 Perhaps a narrative can be added, but for now here are links to laws, plans, and other dated material.

1987 - Interagency Council on Homelessness - § 40-17-2

1995 - Emergency Housing Assistance Program - § 42-55-22.3

Other issues impacting homelessness e.g., economic (low wages, cost of living, eviction, foreclosure, etc.), lack of medical care, mental illness, addiction, and more. Each of these issues have their own sets of answers to the Reseach Questions.

Also, this issue is contained in at least one other issue. Homelessness is one dimension of the broader issue of housing, which has its own sets of laws, regs, organizations, coalitions, etc.

 I began compiling this page on December 1, 2022. That day there were at least 30 tents on the Smith Street side of the State House on the plaza (Providence Journal page A1). According to the RI Coalition to End Homelessness website, at least 1339 Rhode Islanders have no homes, 507 of whom are living outside today. It should not surprise anyone that it gets cold well before December, and there is an extraordinary, unprecedented need for housing.

Federal Government

What is the current state of affairs?

Not easy to describe clearly.... Some observations and questions: