FROM THE STORY: Just two days after dozens of homeless Rhode Islanders rallied outside the governor’s office, demanding more shelter beds be made available, Governor Dan McKee’s administration announced Wednesday that it would fund a fraction of their request.

McKee’s office said $1.4 million has been administered to fund 77 new emergency shelter beds, bringing the total number of new shelter beds funded this year to 351. With these additions, the state’s housing department expects the statewide shelter capacity to include more than 1,000 operational beds.
The governor said in a statement that expanding shelter capacity will “help ensure we have the resources to support families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness.”
However, advocates have been calling on the administration for months — including during Monday’s rally — to immediately open 500 hotel rooms to provide additional beds for the homeless. It’s similar to what Rhode Island did as part of its emergency shelter plan last year.
“I appreciate that they are expanding the shelter capacity. However, because of the very slow pace of that expansion, we are woefully short of enough beds for those who are living outside and in their cars,” said Eric Hirsch, a Providence College urban sociologist and co-chair of the state’s Homeless Management Information System Steering Committee, to the Globe on Wednesday.

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