The Woonsocket City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 30 to establish a city homelessness committee and to authorize a short-term vehicle lease with Community Care Alliance (CCA) for CCA to operate the Dignity Bus as an overnight, congregate shelter.

Councilman Kenoyer moved the resolution to create the homelessness committee (24 R 210); Councilwoman Sierra seconded and the motion passed 5-0. Later the council considered resolution 24 R 211, a short-term lease allowing CCA to operate the Dignity Bus; Councilwoman Gonzales made the motion, Councilman Dubois seconded, and the council approved the lease 5-0.

Michelle Taylor, vice president of Community Care Alliance, described the Dignity Bus operations and the primary cost drivers. "The predominant cost for that is related to staffing costs," Taylor said, adding: "So each night, we have 2, individuals, 2 monitors who are supervising the bus. So we have 10 hour shifts from 9 PM until 7 AM, and 1 person is responsible for checking people in ... and the other person is on the bus kind of helping to facilitate that." She said the bus requires daily cleaning and laundering of bedding, fuel and propane, HMIS licensing and other recurring expenses.

City staff and CCA disclosed funding amounts: the city director said the municipality was awarded $375,817 from the state's municipal homeless funds to run winter shelters and warming stations, plus $77,234 passed through to Harvest Community Men's Shelter. For CCA specifically, staff cited an award of $253,896 to operate the Dignity Bus, which CCA said leaves a shortfall to operate a full 12 months and that they are pursuing additional funding and wraparound grants.

Council members asked operational questions about safety, intake and residency preferences. Taylor said the program screens guests for ability to be in close quarters, maintains rules and case-management follow-up, and uses the HMIS system to link guests to rapid rehousing and other services. When asked whether the program prioritized Woonsocket residents, Taylor said that under the consolidated homeless fund's set-aside for a brand-new project, 75% of beds will be allocated to Woonsocket residents.

Council members also raised contractual and logistical conditions before operations begin. A city staff member noted the city must be listed as an additional insured on CCA's certificate of insurance before the trust signs off. City staff reported a previously outstanding plumbing bill related to connecting the bus to the Holy Family Rectory had been paid from state housing funds (the plumbing portion was cited as about $23,000) and that electrical work was completed.

Council members emphasized a balance between compassion for unhoused residents and quality-of-life concerns for housed neighbors; several members said short-term measures (bus, warming centers) must be paired with longer-term transitional and permanent housing strategies. The council set the homelessness committee to work on short- and long-term options and approved the short-term lease to get the Dignity Bus back into operation following the insurance and contract steps.