The state of homelessness in Rhode Island remains grim, according to a newly-released report from the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness. More people reported experiencing homelessness this year than in 2023, and vulnerable groups, like families and people living outside, have seen particularly sharp increases. “Shelters are overcrowded. Advocates are overwhelmed,” Wilma Smith, an […]
Nina Sparling
Nina Sparling is a reporter with The Public's Radio's investigative team. She has written for outlets including The New York Times, The Paris Review, Vogue, Logic Magazine, and the Global Investigative Journalism Network. Her radio work has appeared on Marketplace, KQED, Alaska Public Media, Capital Public Radio, and with the podcast 70 Million.
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape
Finding a ‘third space’ through weaving at the Mount Pleasant Community Library
The Community Libraries of Providence offer a slew of free arts education programs, including sewing, rug tufting, and how to use 3-D printers. But a weaving class at the Mount Pleasant branch has been especially popular.
Posted inEducation, Local, Metro Desk
Providence mayor threatens budget cuts, tax increases if the city is forced to pay millions to fund schools
Libraries. Parks. Summer programming for kids. The latest phase of the legal battle between city and state over funding the Providence School Department could mean significant reductions in these and other essential city services, Mayor Brett Smiley announced at a press conference on Tuesday. “We’re going to have no choice but to have harmful, harmful […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
2024 Election Live Coverage
NATIONAL OVERVIEW Live updates Polls closed at 8 p.m. in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Race calls are based on reports from the Associated Press, unless otherwise noted. Results are preliminary and subject to certification by the Board of Elections. Last updated at 11:30 p.m. Nov. 5. RACE CALLS RHODE ISLAND ELECTION RESULTS MASSACHUSETTS ELECTION RESULTS
Posted inHousing, Local
Woonsocket residents to benefit from tax sale protections once again
Woonsocket residents will now benefit from statewide protections against losing their homes in a tax sale after the state housing finance agency announced Thursday it would no longer exclude local homeowners from a program designed to prevent foreclosure. Under the Madeline Walker Act, Rhode Island Housing has the authority to purchase tax liens placed on […]
Posted inHousing, Local
How racist restrictions in housing deeds helped shape where Rhode Islanders live today
Mark Brown was flipping through property records in Warwick City Hall when he encountered something unexpected. As part of his volunteer work with the local historic cemetery commission, he was looking to see if a small cemetery had a right-of-way attached to it. What he found in a deed from 1940 for a neighboring house […]
Posted inEn Español, Housing
¿Qué sabes sobre el alojamiento asequible en Rhode Island? Dinos.
The Public ‘s Radio quiere oír de ustedes sobre cómo están tratando acceder a alojamiento asequible. A medida que el estado de Rhode Island invierte millones de dólares en la construcción de miles de nuevos alojamientos asequibles, queremos entender qué sucede una vez que se construyen las unidades y las personas solicitan vivir en ellas. […]
Posted inStories
What do you know about affordable housing in Rhode Island? Tell us.
The Public’s Radio wants to hear from you about what it’s like to try and access affordable housing. As the state pours millions of dollars into constructing thousands of new affordable homes, we want to understand what happens once the units are built, and people apply to live in them. We created this short questionnaire […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Housing, Local
Why homelessness advocates in RI are watching a U.S. Supreme Court case
Several bags of belongings, a bicycle and small furniture sat just outside one of the entrances to a clearing off Houghton Street in Providence, where until recently roughly 35 homeless people lived. The encampment’s unhoused residents had gathered their belongings so they could move them gradually, sometimes on foot, to new locations. In early May, […]
Posted inHousing, Local
Advocates, outreach workers pressure Mayor Smiley to delay plans to clear homeless encampments
Advocates gathered at Providence City Hall on Wednesday to pressure Mayor Brett Smiley and other officials to delay plans to evict the residents of two encampments in the city. “This is a violent process,” said Karen Andes, director of the Master of Public Health program at Brown University. “Removing people by police and bulldozer is […]
