Rhode Island's new state homelessness plan is upending the focus on temporary shelters in favor of more permanent housing, an approach advocates say is more cost-effective and could help Rhode Island become the first state to end homelessness among some groups. The $130 million plan seeks to end homelessness among veterans and those chronically without shelter in the next five years, in part by creating nearly 900 new units of supportive and affordable housing. The units would most likely be apartments and a mix of new construction and renovated existing properties
The Housing Resources Commission is expected to vote Friday to adopt the plan. It then heads to the Interagency Council on Homelessness, re-launched last year by Governor Lincoln Chafee to create a more unified, interdisciplinary response to the problem. The Interagency of Homelessness is led by Governor Lincoln Chafee, along with CSH, the Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island Housing and the United Way.
