PROVIDENCE In a matter of days, 2020 will close out as a year rife with uncertainty for many Rhode Islanders. But housing advocates and others fear more uncertainty lies ahead, and urge the state to seize the chance to address the housing, public health and economic inequities heightened by the pandemic.
The state’s dense and lower-income urban areas such as Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls have been hardest hit by not only the coronavirus but by housing insecurity, data show.
“We have to stay focused on the long run. We need more housing. We need more housing that people can afford,” said Karen Santilli, executive director of the state’s largest shelter provider, Crossroads RI.