Social services for tent city; some move to E. Providence
5:33 PM Mon, Jul 27, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Camp Runamuck, the group of people living in tents near the Point Street Bridge, will get soon get help from several social service agencies, officials said Monday. Case workers this week will visit the camp to determine "who needs services and who just needs to go home," said Anne M. Nolan, president of Crossroads Rhode Island. State officials have asked the residents to decamp this summer, but some hope to establish a new home on the Seekonk River, under a Route 195 bridge in East Providence. While some of the residents are homeless, others may be 18-year-olds who are no longer under the care of the state's Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF), Nolan said. "That's a whole other issue that needs to be addressed." Some small agencies have sent case workers to talk to the community, Camp Runamuck residents said. Some of the residents include young people formerly under DCYF supervision, they said. Meanwhile, it's unclear if the group that has moved across the river to East Providence will be able to stay there long. On Monday morning, East Providence police officers and other town officials expressed concern that the group had established a beachhead -- four tents, a boat and a camp stove -- near a gas line under a Route 195 bridge. The new site is flanked by an industrial strip on one side and a restaurant and the East Providence Yacht Club on the other. Homeless leaders and social workers, meanwhile, have asked to meet with state officials in an effort to find a legal spot for the encampment, called Camp Runamuck. The group was turned away from another spot on Saturday because it is private land owned by an electric company. "There has to be a safety net for the Have Nots," said Richard Rodi, the president of the Rodi Foundation, a Providence social service agency. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story gave the wrong name for the yacht club that borders the tent city's new site. The original version of this story was posted at 2:17 p.m. 
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To bad that can not go to where the old homeless shelter and use the grounds there since it is open and near alot of agencies that say that they can help and those that are in the agencies don't have to walk far from their car (or office) to go help them.
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The homeless situation in Rhody as well as the country is one of America's greatest shames. To think a nation with so much abundance allows it fellow citizens to live like this - says alot about us as a society. Having said that, Camp Runamuck does not have a right to simply set camp anywhere they want. If that is the case, I recommend the state house lawn or better yet, move into the RI House or Reps Chamber - they are away vacation and I am sure won't mind you spending time...right?
It is up to our elected officials to solve this problem once and for all - BTW: please don't ship them to the Howard Complex in Cranston, we already have entire state population of pediphilles. How about moving them to Barrington?
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This makes my heart hurt. I pass by these people everyday. No one cares. This could be me and my son or anyone. Somebody needs to do something about this. All you politicians that sit in your high rises are supposed to be for the people...ALL the people. This is not acceptable, I have seen women and children out here too. Or you can wait for a class war...when the "have nots" have nothing to lose, you should be very afraid. And whose problem is this???!!! Everybody thinks this is somebody else's problem to deal with NO this is everyones problem! And the people that have the means do nothing! I can't wait for the Capitalist Imperialist to crash and burn...burn baby burn!!
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Lets build housing for our hard hit brothers and sisters
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Rhode Islanders love to advocate for the homeless- until they can see them from their front porch or the yacht club.
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Barrington is a great idea! Since they don't allow affordable housing to be built in their precious town. I think affordable housing should just be put there! Can you imagine that? Oh Skippy and Pookie will be up in arms! Oh my! I can see it now...Pookie clutching her $300 purse oh so tightly...Skippy driving his BMW the long way around town so he doesn't risk passing the camp....
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They should relocate to the front of the statehouse until the state finally steps up and helps these people! Use some of that "bonus" money that ends up in all the reps pockets and spend some on programs to help the homeless!
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Why not set up "camp" on the grounds of the Welcome Arnold Shelter? Better yet, why doesn't the state build a new shelter there, since a new State Police headquarters has never materialized. Nor do we need one. What's more important - new police station or taking care of your citizens, especially those most in need?
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There will be lots of folks without a roof when unemployment benefits run out. Every city will face what to do with those who can no longer afford the mortgage/rent and utilies package.
Cities must plan for our landless and homeless. It's not a crime, it's a different kind of life situation, one that could happen to us if it weren't for the paycheck we still have.
People should be able to pitch a tent on safe public land when all the doors slam shut.
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It is unfortunate thar there are homeless in Rhode Island community. But this article, and the responses, fail to address the core problems. Many homeless suffer from a variety of mental illnesses, others have behavioral issues like drug or alcohol abuse. And to be sure, some have just hit a streak of bad luck.
I saw nothing in this article, nor some of the cynical responses, that even attempted to address these core issues. Rather than constantly focusing on finding the homeless yet another location for their tent city, advocates should be trying to help these people get treatment, education, and jobs.
But taking this type of approach could mean that social service agencies might eventually have to close up shop or at least downsize their staffs. That will never happen.
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You NIMBY folks are pathetic hypocrites. All talk.
The real social issue here is finding new temporary shelters for these folks, and weed out who is actually in need and who is pretending, living off the taxpayer.
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