March 31, 2025
Social work students attend dedication for ECHO Village, a pallet-house shelter aimed at easing homelessness
By Martha Young
Students studying social work at Providence College attended the dedication of ECHO Village, a pioneering pallet shelter community of 45 housing units located a mile from campus that aims to ease the chronic housing shortage in Rhode Island.
The students were part of a Social Work Practicum and Seminar taught by Sara Melucci, MSW, LICSW ’14, director of field education at PC. Melucci was former director of outreach programs for House of Hope Community Development Corporation, a homeless services provider that has championed ECHO Village for many years and will manage it.
In addition to one-room pallet shelters, ECHO Village, which opened in February, includes community spaces and essential service units offering laundry facilities, bathrooms, case management, and meal services. Residents can lock doors to protect their belongings, and some units are available for couples, who often struggle to find shelters where they can live together.
Laura Jaworski, MSW ’00, who majored in social work at PC, is executive director of House of Hope CDC and played an instrumental role in bringing it to fruition.
“As Catholics, we are called to take care of the most vulnerable and compelled to be in and of service to others,” Jaworski said, reinforcing the essential role of faith and empathy in social work.
Jaworski maintains a connection to PC and the Department of Social Work through service on the Providence President’s Council and the Social Work Community Advisory Council.
Eric Hirsch, Ph.D., professor of sociology, is an advocate for more ECHO-style villages and the development of permanent supportive housing to address the chronic homelessness problem in Rhode Island.
Hirsch chairs the Rhode Island Homeless Management Information System Steering Committee and serves as interim director of the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project. He wrote in the Boston Globe that the number of unsheltered individuals in Rhode Island has increased by 752% since 2019.
Also attending the ECHO Village dedication was Jake Bassaillon ’09, ’10G, a state senator representing Rhode Island District 1, which includes the shelter site. Melucci credited Bassaillon and other elected officials with playing a pivotal role in ECHO Village through their advocacy.
“ECHO is not just about providing beds,” Bissaillon said. “It is about providing the foundation for people to stand on their own again. And while it is a step forward, we are nowhere near the finish line.”
Melucci is hopeful that social work students will continue their engagement through internships at House of Hope and, potentially, ECHO Village. Such placements, she believes, will provide invaluable experience in housing advocacy, case management, and social service coordination.
“ECHO Village represents the important connection between macro-level policy and direct service,” said Katherine Kranz, Ph.D., associate professor of social work and department chair. “Student participation in social justice projects like this reinforces the Social Work Department’s dual focus on advocacy and engagement.”
