Unhoused students in Middletown at a crisis level
There are currently over 150 students in Middletown Schools who are homeless. They are staying on relative’s couches, temporarily housed in hotels or living in shelters. Compare that to the 2018-2019 school year: the number was 27. More importantly, according to the most recent Kids Count Data, the entire state had 1550 homeless students in 2020. How can Middletown with a population of just over 16,000 have close to ten percent of the entire state’s homeless children?
While there are misconceptions about families and individuals who are homeless, the majority of Rhode Island's homeless population is made up of the working poor. For them, an unexpected bill, illness or job loss is all it takes to tumble into homelessness. With the average apartment rent at $1600 per month, it would take an individual working at a minimum wage job 65 hours to afford an apartment. With rents out of reach by working families, there is a desperate need for affordable options.
The Middletown Democratic town Committee supports immediate action to help our fellow Middletowners to achieve housing security. The Affordable Housing Committee met on November 18th and voted to send a comprehensive advisory resolution to the Town Council to take action with three properties that the town currently owns to explore usage as housing for our working families and seniors. We support the Council voting to proceed to move forward with plans to add low income housing units to Middletown. The preliminary plans may add up to as many as 93 units, which the town desperately needs.
We encourage all residents to take action:
Send an email to the Town Council and encourage them to move quickly to increase the housing options for our seniors and families. One email can be sent here: TownCouncil@middletownri.com
Please support our local homeless shelter, Lucy’s Hearth. They are working tirelessly to help our families in need, but can use you help: https://www.lucyshearth.org/
To give direct support to Homeless Families with School Children, grocery gift cards can be donated via the School Coordinator, email here for more info : lindafblue59@gmail.com
