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H 7225Housing

State Affairs and Government - Emergency Shelters

This bill requires homeless shelters to obtain a state license, adhere to safety and hygiene standards, and prohibits charging residents fees.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 21, 2026Committee House Municipal Government & Housing

Plain-English Summary

This legislation adds a new chapter to Rhode Island law requiring the Executive Office of Housing to establish a licensing system for emergency homeless shelters by January 1, 2027. It mandates that shelters meet minimum standards regarding safety, hygiene, privacy, and transfer procedures. The bill explicitly prohibits shelters from charging fees for lodging or personal care items, though it permits voluntary savings programs. It also requires the creation of a grievance procedure for residents. Shelters established temporarily for natural disasters are exempt from these licensing requirements.

For younger readers

This new law creates a set of rules for emergency shelters, which are places where people stay when they do not have a home. By the year 2027, the government will give these shelters a special permission slip, called a license, to make sure they are running correctly. The law says shelters must be safe, have clean water and bathrooms, and treat people with respect. It also says that shelters cannot ask people to pay money to sleep there or for things like soap and blankets. Temporary shelters set up for big storms are allowed to open without this license.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Homeless individualsEmergency shelter operatorsExecutive Office of Housing staffSocial workersDisaster response teams
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Codifies minimum standards for safety, hygiene, and privacy within shelters, ensuring that unhoused individuals are treated with dignity and provided with humane living conditions.
  • Eliminates financial barriers to safety by legally prohibiting shelters from charging fees for entry or basic necessities like diapers and toiletries, ensuring access for the most destitute.
  • Mandates a formal grievance procedure to be posted in conspicuous places, empowering vulnerable residents to voice complaints regarding mistreatment or unsafe conditions without fear of retaliation.
  • Fails to appropriate specific funding to help existing shelters meet the new licensing standards, which could inadvertently force smaller, volunteer-run, or mutual-aid shelters to close due to compliance costs.
  • Focuses on regulating temporary emergency shelter rather than addressing the root causes of homelessness or investing in permanent, affordable housing solutions (Housing First model).
  • The timeline for implementation extends to 2027, leaving vulnerable populations without these codified protections and grievance mechanisms for several years.
For Conservatives
  • Increases accountability for non-profit organizations and service providers, ensuring that entities operating shelters are meeting specific standards and not simply warehousing people without oversight.
  • Protects against potential fraud or exploitation by prohibiting operators from charging vulnerable individuals for services that are often subsidized by government grants or donations.
  • Includes sensible exemptions for natural disasters and emergencies, ensuring that bureaucratic red tape does not hinder immediate community response to events like hurricanes or blizzards.
  • Expands the size and scope of the administrative state by creating a new licensing regime and regulatory authority within the Executive Office of Housing.
  • Infringes upon the autonomy of private charities and religious organizations by dictating their operational procedures and forbidding them from setting their own fee structures or financial policies.
  • Declares that the operating license remains the "property of the state," representing a philosophical overreach of government control into the private property and operations of non-government entities.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 46 additions

SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 42-167.3-1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) "Emergency shelter" means a facility with overnight sleeping accommodations, the primary purpose of which is to provide temporary shelter for the homeless in general or for specific populations of the homeless.

(2) "Executive office of housing" or "office" means the executive office of housing established pursuant to the provisions of § 42-167-1.

(3) “Secretary” means the secretary of housing appointed pursuant to § 42-167-4. 42-167.3-2. Licensing and exemption.

(a) The executive office of housing shall establish an application for an emergency shelter license no later than January 1, 2027. Upon receipt of an application for a license, the licensing agency shall issue a license if the applicant meets the requirements established pursuant to this chapter. A license issued under the provisions of this section shall be the property of the state and loaned to the licensee, and it shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the licensed premises. Each license shall be issued only for the premises and persons named in the application, and shall not be transferable or assignable except with the written approval of the secretary. No fee shall be charged for the license.

(b) Any emergency shelter established due to a natural disaster, impending dangerous storm, or other event, including, but not limited to, fires, hurricanes or blizzards, shall be exempt from this chapter. 42-167.3-3. Minimum shelter standards.

(a) All emergency shelters that are required to be licensed shall:

(1) Provide a safe place for a person to temporarily reside. Safety of residents and staff shall be the shelters’ top priority;

(2) Make drinking water available to residents and proper bathroom facilities as required by the state building code in chapter 27.3 of title 23;

(3) Develop a written policy regarding the privacy and confidentiality of its residents as required by state and federal law; and

(4) Establish an office approved procedure for the safe transfer of a person seeking shelter or having been sheltered at the licensed premises, who can no longer reside in the shelter at the licensed premises in question. The established procedure shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the licensed premises that is in an area accessed frequently by residents.

(b) The executive office of housing shall promulgate additional minimum shelter standards that shall apply to emergency shelters that are at least partially funded by the state, no later than December 1, 2027. 42-167.3-4. Grievance procedure. The office shall promulgate a grievance procedure designed to address complaints of persons who have resided or attempted to reside in any emergency shelter within this state. Grievance procedures shall be posted in the licensed premises in a conspicuous place accessed frequently by residents. 42-167.3-5. Fees prohibited. Any fees or payments of money for the purposes of providing shelter and personal care items including, but not limited to, linens, toiletries and diapers shall be prohibited unless otherwise allowable by state or federal law. Resident funds provided to a shelter for the purposes of teaching financial literacy or creating a "savings account" are permitted if the funds are returned to the resident at the appropriate time or upon request.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.