PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to help coordinate housing and supportive services for families and individuals experiencing homelessness across Rhode Island, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD), today announced $10,405,360.00 in federal Continuum of Care (CoC) grants for Rhode Island homeless assistance programs. 

This federal funding, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will support 37 local homeless housing and service programs across the state.  The federal homeless assistance funds help local providers and community partners deliver safe, affordable housing and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.  It will also help Rhode Island launch several new projects to create youth crisis and rapid rehousing programs, new services for people seeking Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs), a Permanent Supportive Housing project at the Rockville Mill, and a Coordinated Entry System project for survivors of domestic violence.

“Ensuring every Rhode Islander has safe, private shelter and a stable place to call home is both an ambitious goal and a basic, core community commitment.  We are fortunate to live in such a caring, thriving community.  But too many people can’t afford stable housing or have other issues that cause them to experience homelessness, in no small part due to the alarming shortage of affordable housing in our state and the lingering impact of the pandemic.  It’s critical that the federal government step up to assist and we have delivered funds to enhance the state’s capacity to help unsheltered people with housing and other needs.  This federal funding is just one part of that larger effort,” said Senator Reed.  “These funds will help with rapid rehousing and permanent housing for individuals and families in need, saving lives while also saving taxpayer dollars.  I commend these organizations for the life-changing and life-saving work they do to help provide vulnerable individuals and families with a roof over their heads and supportive services.”

“These federal funds are critical to the ongoing work by so many partners to prevent and end homelessness in Rhode Island,” said Carol Ventura, Executive Director of RIHousing. “We thank Senator Reed for his leadership and commitment to supporting the kinds of innovative and strategic efforts to provide the services and support needed to keep families safe and sheltered and offer them opportunities to thrive.”

The federal CoC grants are coordinated at the state level by RIHousing and jointly administered by non-profits throughout the state.  CoC funds are eligible for a variety of homeless assistance activities, including permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, coordinated assessment, and other services to help ensure homelessness is a brief and rare experience.

“The Rhode Island Continuum of Care is acutely aware of the immense need to leverage resources to support Rhode Islanders experiencing homelessness and we are thrilled to have secured these new resources, which will move forward our goal of functionally ending homelessness,” said Michelle Brophy, Chair of the Rhode Island Continuum of Care. “We also want to thank Senator Reed for his continued leadership in solutions to end homelessness.”

“We are grateful and honored to receive additional funds to provide more housing options to victims of domestic and sexual violence,” said Vanessa Volz, the Executive Director of Sojourner House.  “Lack of safe, secure housing is one of the major reasons that victims of abuse are unable to flee from dangerous situations.  Moreover, these grants also provide life-saving supportive services to help families secure and retain their housing. This CoC funding provides a critical bridge to help victims rebuild their lives.”

Senator Reed has been a strong supporter of housing assistance and homelessness prevention initiatives while continually leading efforts in the Senate to increase funding to address the root causes of homelessness.  In the fiscal year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed into law last week, Reed secured $3.2 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, an increase of $213 million above FY2021.  He also delivered $1.5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, up from $1.35 billion the previous year.  This is in addition to the $352 million in Emergency Rental Assistance funds that Reed brought to Rhode Island through the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.  These funds can be tapped to help homeless individuals.

Reed is the author of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, which President Obama signed into law to streamline homeless assistance grant programs and increase homelessness prevention resources, empowering communities to more efficiently and strategically provide housing and services to this vulnerable population.

People in need of shelter may call the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness CES help line: (401) 277-4316. 

State and local homeless projects receiving 2022 federal CoC grants include:

  • Amos House / Amos House Friendship & Swan Street Project: $99,226
  • Community Care Alliance / Rapid Re-Housing of Northern RI - Youth: $67,308
  • Community Care Alliance / Rapid Re-Housing of Northern RI: $167,250
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - Coordinated Entry: $78,116
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - DV CES: $115,000
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - DV RRH Individuals: $296,033
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - Family Housing: $386,636
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - PH 16 Units: $107,519
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - PH 754 Broad: $48,059
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - PH Beach Ave Apartments: $108,683
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - PH Harold Lewis House: $102,169
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - PH Mike Terry: $131,915
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - PH Tower: $33,083
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - PH Tremont: $73,204
  • Crossroads Rhode Island / Crossroads - RRH Families: $198,534
  • East Bay Community Action Program / East Bay Coalition for the Homeless PH: $52,307
  • Foster Forward / Rapid Rehousing for Former Foster Youth: $271,662
  • House of Hope Community Development Corp. / ACCESS to Home Renewal: $354,973
  • House of Hope Community Development Corp. / Fair House Renewal: $39,464
  • House of Hope Community Development Corp. / Rockville Mill PSH: $162,250
  • House of Hope Community Development Corp. / Warwick PSH: $140,178
  • Housing Authority of the City of Pawtucket, PAW HA RRH: $158,888
  • Lucy's Hearth / Lucy's Hearth PSH: $50,742
  • Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless / Coordinated Entry DV: $748,482
  • Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless / Coordinated Entry: $141,714
  • Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless / HMIS: $152,064
  • RIHousing and Mortgage Finance Corp. / Burnside Ave. PSH: $65,005
  • RIHousing and Mortgage Finance Corp. / Constitution Hill Supportive Housing: $139,113
  • RIHousing and Mortgage Finance Corp. / RI-500 CoC Planning: $298,148
  • RIHousing and Mortgage Finance Corp. / RIHousing - SBRA: $2,512,834
  • Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation / RIHousing - TBRA: $1,415,002
  • Sojourner House / Rapid Rehousing for Undocumented Victims: $339,034
  • Sojourner House / Sojourner House Rapid Re-Housing: $793,304
  • Sojourner House / Supportive Services for EHV Clients: $105,600
  • Sojourner House / Young Adult Domestic Violence Crisis Housing/Rapid Re Housing Project: $325,488
  • Westerly Area Rest Meals Inc. / Greater Westerly Supportive Housing Project: $66,197
  • YWCA Rhode Island / PSH: $60,122

Total: $10,405,306