By way of comparison, he notes that the number of documented homeless is larger than the population of six of the smaller individual towns in the state.
Yet efforts to im-prove the situation remain under siege. The state Neigh-borhood Oppor-tunities Program, for example, which in recent years annually steered $7.5 million to the creation of affordable housing for low-income Rhode Islanders, was cut by the General Assembly, because of the state's budget deficit.
Ryczek, who asserts that each $7.5 million spurred another $60 million in related economic activity, calls the cut short-sighted, saying that such steps will set Rhode Island farther back over the long haul.
Similarly, while it might seem cheap to keep the homeless in shelters, unanticipated costs — for such things as ER visits, incarceration, psychiatric admission, and the like — make it far more expensive.
In making this cost-analysis last year, Ryczek says, "The first response at the General Assembly was, 'If you're asking for extra money, stop.' That's the atmosphere we have to change. We have to get a more participatory budget process that helps our legislators understand the programs that work."
Sound reasonable, but the advocate is probably closer to the mark when he says, "I think we are looking at more pain before things get better."
To read Ian Donnis's politics + media blog, go to thephoenix.com/notfornothing. He can be reached atidonnis@phx.com.
