Housing stock is way down, prices for shit that IS available is way up, and low income and disabled people are finding the little resources available to them completely dry up since Covid. When I lived on Smith Hill through the first part of this year, it felt like there was just an increasing amount of homeless in the neighborhood every week to the point it was becoming problematic for the businesses. I moved to another area of Providence over the summer and having to be careful about where I walk to get to appointments and such because the amount of harassment by the ever growing amount of homeless in the area.

Hell, over the last few months especially, you're seeing more and more tents just popping up all over the place, especially off trails and such.

Going into winter, it's going to get much worse and people more desperate. I'm a disabled trans woman and lucked out in finding a place I could rent an affordable room until next June but absolutely terrified about where I'm going to find housing next year with the state of the Section 8 waiting list and less places taking the vouchers and groups that used to help people like me are just tapped out on their resources.