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Last year the poverty rate in America reached 13.5%. According to the Census Bureau, that rate is expected to climb through this year and the next. From that poverty rate is the homeless rate which certainly is growing in proportion. The rate of uninsured is also still rising in this jobless recovery. The RI jobless rate is expected to climb to 13.5% by economists on September 9th and that does not include the possible 1000 layoff of state workers.

Add the rate of the rising uninsured, the environment is ripe for an increase of homeless and we have a state that does not seem to be prepared for or preparing for these people.

In the City of Providence and East Providence, the homeless are still being evicted and jockeyed about from site to site, from shelter out again to more sites. The Wampanoag Nation has accommodated some onto their land while the people of Hope City but it turns out that the land the Wampanoag had allowed them to use is part of a Superfund site and the town of Cumberland also disputes the Wampanoag's right of ownership.

Hope City homeless were allowed to move to Cumberland for only 6 days to find temporary or regular housing. Six days. This leaves the Hope City group out in left field...again. The Camp Runamuck homeless who are in East Providence were ordered to move by September 8th.

I have been following this since July and no one seems to be helping these homeless people except the non-profits who are under a lot of stress themselves and are not able to help them as much as they would like. That key word I had written about is "but." But we will obey the law", "but we will enforce the rules", and the "buts" go on. That clause so many use and those poor people keep getting shuffled about by over-paid officials hiding behind rules and laws and citizens worried about the overvalued property values.

Put the same energy into securing a roof over their heads before the winter sets in at least.

These municipalities prove that they are expendable; the State of Rhode Island and City of Providence, East Providence, and Cumberland. There is always going to be homeless but, those who are homeless and are working and homeless with families should be accommodated and not shuffled about from one location to the next with officials constantly telling them where they can't stay as opposed to where they can live.

Reported in Tuesday's Providence Journal dated September 15, 2009, "Homeless Camp Illegal". The zoning board testified in Superior Court that

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