‘Supply chain issues’ are putting Providence pallet shelter village on hold until at least fall

They were supposed to be the quick solution to shelter Providence’s homeless population. But 45 one-room cabins assembled in February within the on-ramp to Route 146 South off Victor Street had only two residents on Thursday: a pair of pigeons roosting on a roof.

The $3.3 million ECHO Village project was supposed to have opened by the end of March when it was first announced in January. Then the timeline shifted to May or June. Now, the opening of the pallet shelter community won’t happen until some time in the fall, according to the Rhode Island Department of Housing.

“We continue to conduct site work related to the installation of electrical and other utility infrastructure, as well as to resolve supply chain challenges,” department spokesperson Emily Marshall said in an email Wednesday night. “Through collaboration with our partners, we are finding ways to overcome these remaining barriers.”

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Among what’s still needed, Marshall said Thursday, are transformers and switch gears.

But the lack of materials doesn’t stem from shelter manufacturer Pallet, a public benefit corporation based in Everett, Washington. CEO Amy King said all 45 units have been delivered and installed at the Victor Street location.

“We are not responsible for final occupancy permits, so I’m not clear on the reasons for delays there,” King told Rhode Island Current. “These kinds of delays do happen on occasion and again are out of our control as they are the responsibility of the municipality and/or party responsible for the land and permitting.”

Warwick-based community development corporation House of Hope has been contracted to manage ECHO Village and provide services to connect villagers with case management, housing application assistance, job training, substance use recovery and mental health services.

House of Hope Executive Director Laura Jaworski confirmed Thursday that permitting has been held up by the state’s Department of Business Regulation (DBR). 

“We have to work within the timelines bureaucracy dictates,” Jaworski said.

Slowing things down, Jaworski said, are questions about how the state building and fire codes apply to ECHO Village — the state’s first pallet shelter community. It’s unclear if the cabins should be held to the same standards as a house, hotel, or commercial property, she explained.

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“It’s the first of its kind in Rhode Island,” Jaworski said. “It’s really stretching how things are interpreted because it doesn’t fit cleanly into any of these categories.”

One of those hurdles is getting approval for the use of a chemical automatic fire-extinguishing system instead of an automatic sprinkler for each of the 70-square-foot cabins.

The state’s Fire Safety Code Board of Review approved the use of the fire-extinguishing system ast month, but it also requires a variance from the state building code. The Building Code Standards Committee, a subset of the Building Code Commission, approved the variance on Thursday afternoon.

But the approval process is still not over.

“Several code issues pertaining to life safety, energy, and plumbing need to be resolved before a building permit can be issued by the State Building Office,” DBR spokesperson Matthew Touchette said.

ECHO Village is located about a mile and half from a homeless encampment at the highway embankment between Interstate 95 and Branch Avenue. It’s one of two locations where a combined total of 70 people are camping. The city of Providence plans to issue eviction notices to them Friday, much to the outrage of homelessness advocates and care providers.

“While the mayor is disappointed that this initiative is facing further delays, we understand that supply chain issues have impacted projects across the state,” said city spokesperson Josh Estrella. “The city has completed all necessary permitting on our end and at this time ECHO Village is awaiting permits/approvals from the state.”

In the meantime, Jaworski said House of Hope staff have been coordinating with emergency services about the site and layout so first responders know how to navigate ECHO Village once it is up and running.

“Everybody wants a crystal ball, but it’s tricky,” she said. “If it’s in the fall, it’s in the fall, but I’m holding out hope it’s sooner.”

Funding for ECHO Village comes from State Fiscal Recovery Funds and Community Development Block Grants, as well the city of Providence.

This story was updated to include the supply chain-related issues cited by the Rhode Island Department of Housing.