Rhode Island’s homelessness crisis has culminated in a serious shortage of shelter beds this winter, and advocacy groups are demanding that the state treat it like a public health emergency.
In 2024, there were at least 2,442 unhoused individuals in the state, a 35% increase from the previous year. The real number could be even higher because of how many people typically get missed in counts .
Gov. Dan McKee was prompted to address the problem on a WPRO radio interview last week, but his comments sparked a backlash over inconsistencies with the reality of the state’s shelter issues.
“If the call is made, there are beds that are available right now,” said McKee, adding, “What I’ve been told is that one of our providers is only up to 66% of the capacity they can handle.”
Breaking down McKee’s comments
On Jan. 3, at the time of the governor’s comments, the only Rhode Island shelters listed at 66% occupancy were Providence’s Haus of Codec Emergency Shelter, which exclusively serves LGBTQ+ youth, and the McKinney Shelter in Newport, according to documents provided by the governor’s office.