PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Housing is joining with the Housing Resources Commission and the cities of Providence, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket to provide approximately $9.4 million in resources for service providers to address homelessness in this state.
?The funding can be used to operate emergency shelters, conduct homeless outreach, provide case management services, make rent payments through rapid rehousing programs, or pursue other related projects. These funds are provided through the Consolidated Homeless Fund (CHF) Partnership's Request for Proposals (RFP). In 2023, CHF resources funded the operations of 27 Rhode Island non-profit organizations.
"Our ongoing effort to address homelessness in Rhode Island is unwavering," said Governor McKee. "We invite service providers and communities to bring forth their best approaches and proposals, and we encourage any organization with new ideas to apply."
The Consolidated Homeless Fund is a partnership through which funding from various state and federal sources are distributed through a unified process to evaluate competitive grant requests. This consolidated approach simplifies and alleviates onerous requirements for service providers to write several funding applications and submit to each of numerous programs or granting entities. The funding sources for the FY24 RFP include $4.5 million from the RI Housing Resources Commission's homelessness resources, $1.3 million from Rhode Island's Title XX Homeless Funds, $700,000 from Rhode Island's Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds, $2.3 million from City of Providence's American Rescue Plan Act funds, $450,000 from Providence's ESG allocation, $150,000 from the City of Pawtucket's ESG allocation, and $95,000 from the City of Woonsocket's ESG allocation. Additional funding sources may also be awarded through this process, including funds through the recent State Fiscal Recovery Funds recently allocated in the State's budget for Homelessness Assistance and Homelessness Infrastructure.
"It is critical that we help unsheltered Rhode Islanders find beds in safe indoor spaces – and offer these Rhode Islanders case management in order to resolve other life challenges. This application process will enable service providers to seek and obtain the funds necessary for the operation and expansion of shelters, centers, and other key programs," said Secretary of Housing Stefan Pryor. "We are grateful to Governor McKee, our federal congressional delegation, and the General Assembly for providing the resources to support these needed services."
The funds will be awarded through a competitive process, with applications due by August 3 for most projects and by August 31 for seasonal warming centers and shelters. The program year for the funding will be October 2023 to September 2024.
Every application will be evaluated on the extent to which it adheres to five principles that will guide the decision-making process. These are:
- Reducing unsheltered homelessness with an emphasis on the upcoming winter - Emphasizing housing-oriented and permanent solutions - Offering high-quality, client-oriented approaches - Pursuing sustainability, cost effectiveness, and responsible stewardship of resources - Contributing to data sharing, and data-driven decision-making
The Department of Housing will conduct several information sessions for organizations interested in applying for these funds, including sessions to be held on Thursday, July 6 at 9:30 a.m. and Wednesday, July 12 at 3:30 p.m. A session for organizations who have not previously been funded by CHF and would be first-time applicants will also be held on Monday, July 10 at 11:30 a.m.
To view the RFP and learn more about program eligibility or upcoming information sessions, click here.
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