On Wednesday morning around 8am members of Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee‘s staff, backed up by a State Police presence, exited the State House to issue 48-hour eviction notices to the unhoused people camping on the plaza by Smith Street. Advocates estimate that were are 35 tents and as many as 50 people sleeping in tents outside the State House. As the staffers went tent-by tent, it was unclear how many tents were occupied and how many people were in them.

Governor McKee’s Senior Communications Advisor Matt Sheaff was accompanied by Special Advisor Eva Marie Mancuso and two other state workers going tent-to-tent and issuing the eviction notices, along with a promise of shelter at Emmanuel House and Dunkin’ donuts and coffee.

[Those at the encampment are asking for members of the public to be present on Friday morning at 9am when the State Police are expected to evict the last of those camping out. It is unknown at this time what kind of gathering is being called for.]

Asked about women camping outside the State House, because Emmanuel House is a male only shelter, Sheaff told Uprise RI that “we’re working on that.” Also, there were no couples shelters immediately offered, but after a few hours the administration had worked out what appears to be hotel rooms in Warwick for couples. This was good, because at least one couple could not be separated into men’s and women’s shelters because the woman is in a wheelchair, and her husband is her caretaker.

One of the four government workers going tent-to-tent identified himself as a facilities worker. His job was to offer people cardboard boxes to store their possessions in. The possessions, said Director Sheaff, would be stored by the state for up to 30 days or delivered to the shelter with the person.

As Uprise RI videoed the process, Special Advisor Mancuso asked why we were including the eviction process but not the part where she was willing to deliver coffee to the tents.

In all, while Uprise RI was there, as many as eight to ten people were transported to a shelter bed or a hotel room.

The state hopes to continue this process until everyone in the plaza has been relocated. Michael, who Uprise RI interviewed back in June, was the first to camp out in front of the State House this year. He sees camping out on the State House plaza as a political protest.

“We want permanent supportive housing for everyone,” he told Uprise RI. He doesn’t believe the state has the legal, constitutional power to evict the protesters exercising their first amendment rights and plans to stay and continue his peaceful protest until his demands are met.

The eviction notices are curious. They are not on official letterhead and are not signed by anyone. That said, the very real threat is that those who do not leave by 9am Friday morning will be forcefully removed by State Police. Further, at least two State police vehicles have parked on the sidewalk on the Smithfield side of the State House to prevent anyone else from setting ups tent in the plaza.

Unhoused people camping at the State House have seemingly been prioritized for fast track housing, ahead of those who have called and been placed on waiting lists through CES, the Coordinated Entry System.

Uprise RI has serious questions about the Coordinated Entry System and its use, or more specifically, the way it’s not being used in this case. CES is supposed to “ensure that all people experiencing a housing crisis have fair and equal access and are quickly identified, assessed for, referred, and connected to housing and assistance based on their strengths and needs.”

But in prioritizing the people sleeping at the State House, it appears that Josh Saal is using the power of the Governor’s office and his position as Secretary of Housing to personally intervene on behalf of those camping outside, for what can only be political reasons. There are an estimate 80+ encampments of unhoused people in Rhode Island, but Secretary Saal is not personally intervening and bypassing CES on their behalf.

A call to CES released to Uprise RI has a woman on the phone telling the caller that “the hardest part of my job is not having a place to place those individuals. I mean, our shelters are full. We’re running off a waiting list.”

Inside the State House, Uprise RI ran into Secretary Saal, Matt Sheaff, and Eva Marie Mancuso and tried to stop them for quick questions. Secretary Saal did not acknowledge the question, and Director Sheaff told me they would talk “after a budget meeting.”

“How long is that?” asked Uprise RI.

“When it’s over!” said Directer Sheaff.

There are a lot of unanswered questions about this event. Why now? and, How was this process decided upon? being two of them. At least one person suggested that Governor McKee is acting this way as retaliation for unhoused people disrupting his tree lighting ceremony. Other have suggested that right-wing media, such as Channel 10’s Brian Crandall, have been pushing the Governor to clear out the encampment. On Monday Crandall was interviewing the Governor about concerns he was hearing about needles and human waste being discovered by State House workers.

“I guess my question is, at some point is there going to be an end to the tents outside the State House?” asked Crandall, “Are you going to move them or make them move?”

There are also questions about fairness. Those who have properly used the CES system might be losing safe housing options because Secretary Saal has used back-end communications to take those rooms, outside the CES system.

This is a developing story and Uprise RI will offer continuing coverage.