For those who contend that “the cure for homelessness is housing” here is some good news: pallet shelters are coming. This is not just a cot on a cold night, but a step towards getting people into a stable, independent living situation, and on the path to permanent housing. Wheeler Cowperthwaite writes in the ProJo how the circumstances of the Covid shutdown inspired one local advocate* to think outside (inside?) the box:
Three years later, as Burlington, Vermont and Boston have set up their own pallet shelters, Providence could be next in line with a plan for 45 individual tiny shelter buildings, 70 square feet, with screened windows, fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon-dioxide detectors, electrical outlets and their own heating and cooling systems.
State officials are “pursuing” a plan to open a 45-unit pallet-shelter village on state land off Victor Street in Providence, state Department of Housing spokeswoman Emily Marshall wrote in a news release.
This photo shows that site preparation is well under way at the 4-acre, state-owned plot off of Victor Street, behind the Foxy Lady. (That is Route 146 running across the background.) An additional four “office units” are in the plan, as the site would be staffed at all times, making it much safer for the women, compared to life on the street. The single-person units will also provide privacy. A combination shower/bathroom, a community room, and a laundry room are included in the plans. Pets will even be allowed.
According to the WPRI report:
The project would cost an estimated $3.3 million, accounting for the pallets, construction, services, staffing, and any site improvements, according to housing officials. Funding would come from State Fiscal Recovery Funds and Community Development Block Grants, according to the state.
Housing officials said the four-acre plot of state-owned land was chosen “for its proximity to transportation, services, and amenities, as well as its connection to municipal power, water, and sewer infrastructure.”
The proposal must receive approval from the R.I. State Properties Committee, which is expected to discuss the idea on January 23.
The shelter community, dubbed ECHO Village, has an anticipated opening date of sometime in March, according to state housing officials.
*Laura Jaworski is executive director of House of Hope; they will be pivotal partners in this project. From their website: “Fact: 435 unsheltered individuals are living on the streets, in cars, in encampments, or other spaces not meant for human habitation.”
We can do this. Not only is this the right thing to do, but it makes sound economic sense.