Never before has there been such a need for an urgent response from our elected and government officials in Rhode Island concerning homelessness. Instead, the governor presented the homelessness issue as almost a nonissue for the state. He claimed in a recent media interview that there “is a shelter provider whose occupancy is at 66% and that there was a surplus of beds.”

But in fact, at the time of Gov. Dan McKee’s statement there were only three available beds for adults and two available beds that are designated for transitional-age youth only.

Rhode Island has the second-highest rate of chronic homelessness in the nation. In the last year, 54 homeless residents have died, and that does not include those who have come out of homelessness and succumbed to the diseases and illnesses that they acquired while being homeless.

Service providers and other advocates are wondering where is the outrage, the sense of urgency to help our most vulnerable neighbors? This should not be a political football. The fact that there are over 650 human beings of all ages living outside in the harsh winter elements every day should be appalling to everyone. This number has increased by 100 people from last year.

Any other epidemic that critically impacts a population's health and continues to negatively affect the community, stresses out its health care system and shows an increase in fatalities would ordinarily rise to the declaration of a public health emergency.

This  week, those who will be on the ground doing their best to keep people alive during what is to be a polar vortex in Rhode Island – with temperatures expected to approach the single digits with Arctic winds – sadly will have no options to provide shelter for all of our unhoused neighbors. We certainly can expect there to be more deaths as a result.

There is no room for distortion, misrepresentation or lying when it has to do with these realities.

If the governor declared homelessness to be a public health crisis, it would immediately make resources available and set in motion a coordinated response by government agencies and health care facilities. It also would trigger emergency protocols and additional funding to respond to the crisis.

Rhode Island needs to take a page from some other states where this has indeed made a significant difference in saving lives.

The Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness works collaboratively with advocates, providers and faith-based organizations to create and advance lasting solutions to prevent and end homelessness.  Notably, the Coalition, alongside advocates and constituents, lobbied for and successfully passed the country’s first Homeless Bill of Rights in June 2012.

Day to day the coalition runs lead on the state’s Homeless Management Information System and the permanent housing placement end of the Coordinated Entry System, as well as the call center (available 365 days). We want to be crystal clear that our commitment to our unhoused friends has always been to provide comprehensive services with the resources that we have.

Kimberly Simmons is executive director of the RI Coalition to End Homelessness