Residents and providers urge Woonsocket to keep Open Doors shelter open

Multiple speakers at the Aug. 17 public-comment period urged the Woonsocket City Council to preserve Open Doors' shelter operations, provide financial support or delay any changes that would displace current residents.

Dina Bruce, Deputy Director of Open Door, told the council the facility serves roughly 52 people and that many have nowhere else to go: “There are currently approximately 52 people living at 181 Commonwealth Community,” she said, stressing that the residents include people working, elderly clients with mobility needs, and people in recovery who rely on shelter structure and services. Several residents and volunteers echoed that the program provides housing stabilization, case management and pathways to permanent housing.

Eric Garcetti, identified in the public record as Open Door’s executive director, described both successes and the tight timeline facing the shelter: “We were very sad to have to announce last week that the shelter is closing to all the staff and the residents,” he said while outlining alternatives Open Door had proposed and asking whether the alternate lease they circulated was a public document. Multiple speakers — residents, church volunteers and municipal partners — emphasized the consequential human impact if beds are lost and asked the council to prioritize continuity of care and to seek state-level funding if necessary.

Speakers also noted that Open Doors partners with Community Care Alliance and other providers for recovery services, and several said that losing the shelter would shift visible crises back onto public streets rather than resolve homelessness. The council moved the shelter lease (26-O-41) forward for first passage later in the meeting; negotiations about funding and capital repairs continued.