State to oversee 2026 Rhode Island homeless census

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island officials will take a direct role in this year’s statewide Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness. For the first time, the Executive Office of Housing will coordinate volunteers for the count. Previously, the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness led the effort for 16 years.

The coalition will still manage the state’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) through 2028. This includes checking data and sending it to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The group is also hiring staff, including a data analyst, a data liaison, and a new executive director.

HUD has not yet announced the 2026 count date. State officials expect it will take place in the last two weeks of January. The last count, on Jan. 21, 2025, found 2,373 unhoused people in Rhode Island. Most were living outside rather than in shelters. This led the McKee administration to fund over $1.7 million for warming centers and emergency beds.

There have been past disagreements between the state and the coalition over counting methods. Some practices used during the pandemic are no longer allowed under HUD rules. Rhode Island has replaced the old shelter hotline with in-person regional access points.

Nonprofits say accurate counts are essential. HUD funding depends on the numbers collected. Outreach teams visiting shelters and encampments on the night of the count remain critical to getting the right data.