The Rhode Island Department of Housing announced Monday that it is funding additional and expanded emergency beds for the homeless at numerous locations across the state to account for the closure of the Cranston Street Armory shelter.
The new locations are expected to accomodate about 150 homeless residents.
Occupancy at the Cranston Street Armory, which closes Monday, is currently below 100 people, state officials said. That's down from about 200 in the winter and 150 as recently as two weeks ago. People who have been staying there are being referred to other housing options throughout the state.
The new shelter options include:
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
- OpenDoors RI will open a new motel program in Warwick with 55 rooms
- Community Care Alliance will expand shelter operations in hotels, with an additional 40 rooms spread among one hotel site in Woonsocket and two in North Smithfield
- Crossroads Rhode Island will add 10 beds at their facility on Broad Street in Providence
- Capacity at Emmanuel House in Providence has 20 available beds
Further expansions of Rhode Island's emergency shelter capacity are being pursued on an ongoing basis, state housing officials said.
Gov. Dan McKee and the Department of Housing are also proposing a budget amendment of $29 million in new resources and a new state-level low-income housing tax credit aimed at providing a more permanent solution, according to a release from the administration.
