Pawtucket overpasses cleared out, cleaned up; fencing to be installed
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WJAR) — Two overpasses along I-95 in Pawtucket were cleared out and cleaned up Monday after state and city leaders notified those living there to vacate.
A notice to vacate order came down ten days ago, giving folks under the George and Garden Street overpasses until 9 a.m. Monday to leave or potentially face arrest or fines.
NBC 10 News was on the scene early Monday morning and saw Rhode Island Housing Department members and outreach workers helping the remaining people living there pack up their things. Boxes were offered to people for their belongings, and previously, Secretary Stefan Pryor had said the state would store those belongings.
A department spokesperson said those people have been provided with case management services.
"It's a safety issue for anybody living outside, anywhere," said Gov. Dan McKee on Monday. "Some would argue it could've been done quicker, but I think we had to make sure there were transition strategies in terms of shelter and places they could transition to."
Additionally, a spokesperson for Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien's office says transportation was offered to people at the overpasses to go to places like the Cranston Street Armory.
However, advocates raised concerns over what that does for an already overwhelmed shelter system.
"Our shelter system is at max capacity still," said Margaux Morriseau, deputy director for the RI Coalition to End Homelessness. "It takes time to develop shelters, it takes time to get shelter beds online and until we have places for people to go, it's really not fair to ask them to leave anywhere because they have no place to go. They're just going to relocate to another place."
Morriseau said shelters and warming stations, including the armory, have tried their best to welcome as many unhoused Rhode Islanders as they can, but resources have become thin as demand/need has increased.
"The armory was built for a certain number and it's usually triple that each week," she said. "What solves the problem is developing the shelter beds and getting folks inside, but we don't have those spaces inside available just yet."
As of April 3, the RI Coalition to End Homelessness said 357 Rhode Islanders live outside.
The armory is set to stop providing warming services at the end of this month, which was extended from the original expiration date of April 15.
NBC 10 News tried to reach Amos House, the community provider tapped with running the armory, on Monday, but never heard back.
As for the overpass sections, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation has contracted Woonsocket-based COSCO to install fencing at at least the George Street location to prevent bridge access. Work is expected to start on the fence Tuesday and will take two days, according to a spokesperson. A Rhode Island State Police trooper will be present during that timeframe to ensure no one reenters the overpass areas.