WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — Woonsocket is looking for new ways to tackle the ongoing housing crisis.

The Woonsocket Community Partnership Task Force has developed a new draft plan to alleviate the immediate need for emergency shelter

“We need more housing,” Task force member Nancy Benoit said. “Housing is the answer.”

Benoit said the city needs more subsidized housing for low income families, supportive housing, recovery housing and emergency housing, according to a recent study released Wednesday. The draft plan, she said, includes bolstering Woonsocket’s housing options.

There are many factors that have contributed to homelessness in Woonsocket, including mental health and domestic violence. Woonsocket Fire Chief Robert Cahill said the opioid crisis has also played a significant role.

Cahill said the department has kept track of where most of the city’s overdose calls originate from, which is along the Blackstone River “where the homeless encampments are.”

The most common issue in the city is unaffordable housing, according to Bruce Daigle, who authored the city’s housing report.

“It catches up,” Daigle said. “That’s why you have people who are looking for cheaper apartments, who are couch surfing, who are with relatives, friends or colleagues. They don’t have the resources.”

There’s no timeframe on when Woonsocket might implement this plan, but city leaders hope the state legislature can help expedite it.

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