Homeless in RI: A journey to make Rhode Island homeless free – Vincent Marzullo

By Vincent Marzullo, commentary to RINewsToday

Since last November I’ve been a twice weekly/volunteer meal-server at Mathewson Street United Methodist Church in downtown Providence. It has allowed me to develop relationships with the clients, street workers, service providers, faith-based representatives, and other community volunteers/advocates.

This interest was triggered by last year’s 10-week temporary assignment (April to June 2023) as the Interim Executive Director of the DaVinci Community Center in Providence. During that period, I had dealings with a tent encampment (30-40 unhoused residents) that was behind the DaVinci Center and Charles Place (Sec. 8 housing for the elderly, people with disabilities & low-income families).

There was significant drug activity in the tent encampment, in Charles Place, as well as abusive relationships, and even a car bombing that attempted to kill a couple sleeping in their vehicle. It was chaotic, and begged for order and community safety. Fortunately, by bringing public attention to the unlawful and unsafe environment, there was intervention by state and local authorities, along with a few service providers. However, I was frustrated and left bewildered by what I experienced. I wanted to understand more.

After last summer, a few friends had suggested visiting Mathewson St. Church – and possibly volunteer – which I am. The more I witnessed, the more troubled I became because the system to reduce homelessness is broken, disjointed, and not set up to build capacity and increase positive outcomes for the unhoused.

First, a commitment to do it

Granted, all of this is intricate which requires a “unified coMMAnd” to organize, and the backing of our political leaders, along with their commitment to make Rhode Island “homeless-free”. Oddly enough, I discovered that in 2011 the RI General Assembly passed legislation that established, mandated, and obligated the “Interagency Council on Homelessness” to develop a “strategic plan” that would “end homelessness” in our state – since it was declared “detrimental to the Health, safety, and welfare of the homeless individuals themselves, and to the state” (emphasis added). Yet, for whatever reason, in 2015 the work of this critical public body was abandoned – thereby contributing to our current crisis due to their negligence and failure to fulfill their “oath of office”.

For several months now, I’ve been supporting and collaborating with Eric Hirsch/PhD, PC Sociology Professor/Project Director for the RI Homeless Advocacy Project. Recently, we sent joint letters to the Governor, the RI Speaker, and the Chair of the House Oversight Committee. Also, Joe Buchanan, a long-time social justice advocate, and I recently had a useful meeting with Providence Mayor Smiley in his office, along with a representative of the homeless community. The Mayor will continue the conversation next month at the Mathewson St. Church with the unhoused community & members of his staff. We look forward to identifying more common ground.

Next, the mandated Interagency Council on Homelessness

This past Friday evening we received an acknowledgement from the Governor’s Chief of Staff that a meeting will be set up. We have not received any response from the House Oversight Chair; however, we did have a phone conversation with the Speaker’s Chief of Staff to brief him on our advocacy efforts.

I think it’s essential that we appeal to the public’s “better angels” and demonstrate a true willingness and need for a more humane and effective strategy. Our failure for almost 10 years has divided & frustrated the public, is causing many unhoused individuals to lose hope and become more vulnerable, preventing smart capacity building investments, and has neglected responsible oversight.

Then, a Strategic Plan

Now, if only we can get the Governor, the General Assembly, the cities & towns, the religious community, and the service providers to function from the same legally mandated “strategic plan”, perhaps Rhode Island can become the 1st state in the nation to be “homeless-free”. Time will tell if the Governor issues a “call to action” and summons “all hands” to aid the effort. This is a unique opportunity for Rhode Island to build true “Hope” through coordinated, community compassion.

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a continuing, but newly intensive series of “Homeless in RI”. At this year’s Point in Time count, it was estimated that the number of homeless could have grown by double digit percentages – between 25 and 35% is what most states are anticipating. If that statistic proves true in Rhode Island, the winter of 2024-25 stands to be one of the most critical in homeless History in the state.

Follow Homeless in RI series, HERE.

Vincent Marzullo served for 31 years as a federal civil rights/social justice Director in Rhode Island with the Corporation for National & Community Service. Last year, Vin served as the Interim Executive Director of the DaVinci Community Center in Providence and is a Board member of the Senior Agenda
Coalition of Rhode Island. He also volunteers weekly at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Mathewson St.