This column was originally featured on Newportri.com.
In September 2024, I wrote about the growing visibility of homelessness in Newport and the concerns being raised by residents, business owners, and community leaders. Over the last year and a half, we’ve added additional services to address the issue, such as becoming a Regional Access Point for Housing, participating in a state grant program that places our case managers at housing sites, and having our Street Outreach and Rhode Island Outreach teams participate in weekly Situation Table meetings to collaborate with the larger community of first responders and other community partners to support our at-risk residents.
Yet homelessness persists. But alongside this concern, something else has grown as well: misunderstanding.
If we are going to respond effectively to homelessness in Newport, we need to start with a clear and shared understanding of what is happening.
One of the most persistent myths I hear is that people are coming to Newport County—and Newport in particular—because we offer more or better services than other cities and towns. There is a belief that our system is somehow attracting homelessness.
To understand the reality of the situation, we need to consider not just what we’re seeing on our streets, but also what the data tells us across Rhode Island and beyond.
The data story behind homelessness – Fewer shelter beds, not fewer people
Since my last article, the data tells a story that is both complicated and concerning. Homelessness is increasing across Rhode Island and across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), between 2023 and 2024, homelessness in our state increased by approximately 35%.
In January 2025, Rhode Island had 1,826 emergency shelter beds available: 71 fewer than the year before.
The telling number is that, as shelter capacity declined, unsheltered homelessness rose sharply.
- 618 people were living outside in 2025, compared to 534 in 2024.
- That’s an increase of more than 15% in just one year.
These are individuals living in cars, tents, or public spaces. This is the population communities see most, and the population that has grown the fastest.
This shift helps explain what we are seeing in Newport. More people are unsheltered, and therefore more visible.
Homelessness is becoming more entrenched
At the same time, homelessness is lasting longer.
- More than 40% of people counted in 2025 had been homeless for more than a year.
- Among those living outside, 66% were chronically homeless, which HUD defines as a person with a disability who has lived in a place not meant for human habitation, emergency shelter, or safe haven for at least 12 consecutive months, or on at least four separate occasions in the last three years (totaling 12 months).
- The longer someone remains homeless, the harder it becomes to get housed. What begins as a short-term crisis increasingly becomes a long-term condition.
Who we are seeing, and why it matters to Newport
We have very limited shelter capacity in Newport County. There are approximately 40 beds locally, compared to hundreds concentrated in the urban core. At the same time, we are part of a system experiencing fewer beds, more unsheltered people, and longer durations of homelessness.
When pressure builds in that system, it does not stay in one place. It disperses.
We’re seeing that reality on the ground. Outreach workers and community members are encountering more individuals sleeping in public spaces, including in areas like Broadway. And they’re not coming here because we have better services. They’re here because there’s nowhere else to go.
Many of the individuals we’re seeing in Newport today are newly homeless — people who recently lost housing due to a triggering event: the death of a spouse, a medical crisis, a job loss, or an eviction. Without intervention, they are at risk of entering the shelter system and staying there or being forced to live in their car or on the street.
Why prevention matters
Yes, we need to build more housing. But more housing alone will not fully solve the homeless problem. If we want a different outcome, we need to intervene earlier.
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) like Newport Mental Health play a crucial role in housing stabilization by providing our clients with targeted case management, housing support services, and active partnerships to help individuals with mental health and substance use disorders find, secure, and maintain stable housing. Short-term assistance, mediation with a landlord, or help accessing other supports can prevent an eviction from being filed.
In our shelter work, we use approaches grounded in federal models that focus on what is often called “diversion” or “problem solving.” The idea is simple: meet people at the point of crisis and identify safe alternatives whenever possible. Before they enter the shelter, we ask: If you cannot stay in shelter tonight, where else could you go, and what would it take to make that possible?
Often, the answer is not complicated. Someone may be able to stay with a family member if they can contribute to utilities.
Another person may avoid eviction with short-term support. When someone avoids entering the shelter system, their chances of long-term stability increase significantly.
These approaches are not just compassionate—they are also less expensive for those who fund and support shelter programs. When we offer flexible, creative, and affordable alternatives to shelters or life on the streets, and we help people find safe solutions with a focus on securing permanent housing. This path leads to much better outcomes for everyone involved.
The role of flexible funding (flex funds)
One of the most effective ways to support these innovative approaches is through flexible funding, commonly referred to as “flex funds.” These funds are designed to be quickly accessible and adaptable, allowing outreach workers and agencies to respond to urgent needs that can prevent homelessness.
Examples include paying for a security deposit, covering a few months of rent, assisting with utility bills, or providing transportation for someone to reunite with family.
How flex funds can be raised or obtained
Flex funds can be sourced in several ways. Local governments may allocate portions of their budgets specifically for homelessness prevention and rapid response. Nonprofit organizations can raise flex funds through targeted fundraising campaigns, grant applications, or partnerships with philanthropic foundations. Community members and businesses can also contribute by donating to dedicated flex fund accounts managed by trusted agencies. By pooling these resources, communities create a safety net that empowers outreach workers to act swiftly and creatively, ensuring individuals have the support they need to avoid homelessness and secure stable housing.
Rethinking assumptions
We also need to be honest about why some individuals remain outside.
There is a belief that people “choose” to live on the street. Many people choose the street because they do not feel safe in congregate settings. Experiences of violence, theft, or trauma are real, and they shape decision-making. Others stay outside because they a beloved pet they can’t bring into a shelter. No one is choosing homelessness in the way we often imagine. They are making the best decisions they can within the options available to them.
How Newport can move forward
Newport is a compassionate community. For the best results, compassion must be paired with clarity.
Homelessness is one of the most complex challenges we face, and it will not be solved by any single intervention. All of these forces working together will create a more stable system:
- We need more housing
- We need stronger prevention strategies
- We need more shelter capacity
- We need systems that help people exit homelessness as quickly as possible
The increase in unhoused populations in Newport is not caused by the services we provide. It is the result of broader forces, both statewide and national, that are playing out locally.
If we come together around that understanding, we can move beyond myths and toward solutions. But we need to start by getting the story right.
Dayna Gladstein is President & CEO of Newport Mental Health in Middletown. Peace of Mind, which is co-written with Kristan McClintock, runs in the Newport Daily News and online at newportri.com.