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McKee on underpass: 'We shouldn't have people in a dangerous situation like that'


A shelter is built under a highway overpass in Pawtucket. (WJAR)
A shelter is built under a highway overpass in Pawtucket. (WJAR)
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Just days after we brought you the story of a man living underneath the George Street Bridge in Pawtucket, NBC 10 News is working to get answers from Rhode Island's leaders.

Speaking after a press conference Monday, Gov. Dan McKee called the situation of folks living at the underpass a "safety issue" that should be a top priority among agencies working on the problem, like the Department of Housing.

"The secretary of Housing is working on that right now. We expect progress there," McKee told reporters. "I've said it before: the people need to be moved off of a federal highway. It's very dangerous for people driving their cars, as well as for people who feel the need to be there. Housing will be provided, and we'll be working with the local community to make sure when people are moved from the site, they'll have a place to go.

"The safety issue should be a top priority of everyone concerned and we shouldn't have people in a dangerous situation like that, in addition to what homelessness brings to their lives," McKee added.

The encampment along Interstate 95 spans two sections and has been a contentious topic between Pawtucket and the state. NBC 10 News has been covering the issues of trash and homelessness at that location for more than a month.

City leaders previously told NBC 10 News that the area is state land and that they can't kick anyone off the property.

Official action has yet to be taken, but individuals and community groups have tried to help clean the area and assist those living there. Among those organizations involved are outreach workers from House of Hope.

"Folks have felt failed by a lot of systems that are supposed to help them, so we try to honor that and give folks time to build trust with us," said Sara Melucci, House of Hope's outreach program director. "We're certainly worried about the safety of folks staying [at the underpass], but that's a backdrop of hundreds of people sleeping outside. Homelessness is fundamentally unsafe, so we work with people to find the safest option they have available to them and that we have available to us."

We showed Melucci our story on "J" from the underpass last Friday.

"His desire to shift the public perception tells me that there's a painful public perception right now," she said in reaction to the piece. "I think as an outreach program, we try really hard to prioritize the 'lived expertise' -- which is the expertise of people who are experiencing homelessness right now -- and that is perfect example. Just highlighting the intricacies of what it means to be unsheltered in the state of Rhode Island. It's complicated, and it's often boiled down to a much simpler than story than it really is."

NBC 10 tried to speak with Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor on Monday to learn about efforts to clean up the encampment and move people there to a more suitable, safe area. A spokesperson for the secretary told us there would be no new details released Monday.

Monday's developments also come in the shadow of a new housing package unveiled by House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi last week. Among the 14 bills introduced, Shekarchi told NBC 10 that the legislation creates more opportunities for the private sector to build more affordable housing.



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