Is NYC Shipping Its Homeless to RI a Big Deal? Some Local Mayors Think So

Is NYC Shipping Its Homeless to RI a Big Deal? Some Local Mayors Think So

The New York Post published an investigative report unveiling a New York City program that ships homeless families to locations across the country including families to Woonsocket, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, and Providence.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza has declared Providence a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants -- but now is one of the Rhode Island mayors raising questions about the New York City program.

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“From the tropical shores of Honolulu and Puerto Rico, to the badlands of Utah and backwaters of Louisiana, the Big Apple has sent local homeless families to 373 cities across the country with a full year of rent in their pockets as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 'Special One-Time Assistance Program.' Usually, the receiving city knows nothing about it,” the Post reported.

“[NY] City taxpayers have spent $89 million on rent alone since the program’s August 2017 inception to export 5,074 homeless families — 12,482 individuals — to places as close as Newark and as far as the South Pacific, according to Department of Homeless Services data obtained by The Post. Families who once lived in city shelters decamped to 32 states and Puerto Rico,” according to the Post.

Three Rhode Island Mayors are questioning the program.

According to a statement from Elorza, Don Grebien, and Lisa  Baldelli-Hunt, this program is putting an unfair burden on their respective cities, Providence, Pawtucket and Woonsocket.

They write in a statement:

Based on the information in the New York Post’s article, this is an outrageous example of bad public policy. Providence, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket are financially distressed communities working with limited resources to improve our residents’ quality of life. It is deeply concerning that the City of New York is relocating members of their community to ours and many others without informing us. To send these families to other cities and towns with no communication or support structure is irresponsible.

We will continue to do everything we can to assist our residents, especially those experiencing homelessness, despite having limited resources. This irresponsible approach is taking away the resources that we as individual communities and the State of Rhode Island have. We echo many of the sentiments of the mayors of other communities. While it is unclear how many families have been relocated to Rhode Island, we must sit with State leaders and the Department of Human Services in order to ensure that the Special One-Time Assistance Program does not negatively impact our communities moving forward.

Otherwise, this will come as a cost to the state as a whole, and not just the municipalities. While it appears relocations have occurred in Providence, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket at this point, there is no indication that New York’s Special One-Time Assistance Program will stop in our cities or will refrain from moving families experiencing homelessness from New York City to other cities in Rhode Island.