The Newport Bridge Warming Center received $25,000 in the state’s winter shelter awards announced Friday — the only Newport County recipient and the smallest of 11 grants totaling about $1.8 million.
The Executive Office of Housing said the awards will add 296 overnight beds and daytime warming center capacity statewide for the 2026-27 winter, supplementing year-round shelter.
The Newport award falls under the state’s flexible winter response category, which funds operations on an as-needed basis during severe or inclement weather, including daytime and overnight warming centers, operational support and transportation to safe locations.
The larger category — seasonal shelters that operate nightly from November through April regardless of temperature — went to five organizations, none of them on Aquidneck Island. Those awards were Crossroads Seasonal Shelter, $349,897.94; WARM Seasonal Shelter in Westerly, $290,000; Catholic Social Services Seasonal Shelter, $184,731.18; OpenDoors Seasonal Shelter, $158,375; and Housing Hotline Seasonal Shelter, $75,000.
The other flexible winter response awards were the Rhode Island State Council of Churches Overnight Warming Center, $373,806; Crossroads Family Warming Center, $151,944.75; the West Warwick Overnight Warming Center, $75,037.52; the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness for operations coordination, $69,905.45; and McAuley Ministries Warming Center, $50,000.
“Winter brings additional challenges for Rhode Islanders experiencing homelessness, and our responsibility is to make sure our communities are prepared before those challenges arrive,” Secretary of Housing Deborah Goddard said in a statement.
Gov. Dan McKee said his administration has established “a sustainable funding stream for homelessness services” and worked with municipalities, faith-based organizations and community providers.
All awards are pending final acceptance by the recipients. The state said applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis until the funding is fully committed or Dec. 31, whichever comes first.
More information on winter resources is at housing.ri.gov.
