Eileen Hayes

Eileen Hayes is president and CEO of Amos House, a Providence-based nonprofit that for  over 40 years has been providing services to those experiencing homelessness, poverty, and other crises.

Hayes has pioneered efforts to help families and individuals and works closely with organizations like SWAP to create affordable housing opportunities. “SWAP has been such an important player in the ways in which our neighborhood of South Providence has changed over recent decades,” she says. “ Often, when we see housing changes, it means gentrification and the pushing out of those who have historically called an area home. But with SWAP’s initiatives, folks who have lived in this neighborhood for generations have had access to quality housing and a path to homeownership.”

“We must commit to not only creating new affordable housing, but also more supportive housing and subsidized housing. We all have to work together to ensure housing for everyone. To address the current housing crisis, we must create housing, but we must especially commit to creating truly affordable housing. The term affordable housing is often thrown around as the good-intentioned catch-all phrase that it has become, but affordable housing does not mean the same thing for all people.

What are your thoughts on how SWAP has made a difference in housing and revitalizing neighborhoods over the past 50 years?

SWAP has been such an important player in the ways in which our neighborhood of South Providence has changed over recent decades. Often, when we see housing changes, it means gentrification and the pushing out of those who have historically called an area home. But with SWAP’s initiatives, folks who have lived in this neighborhood for generations have had access to quality housing and a path to homeownership.

Community housing development has evolved over the past 50 years – but we find ourselves in a housing crisis.  What do you see as the role for SWAP and other CDC’s in finding solutions to create more housing in RI?  

To address the current housing crisis, we must create housing, but we must especially commit to creating truly affordable housing. The term “affordable housing” is often thrown around as the good-intentioned catch-all phrase that it has become, but affordable housing does not mean the same thing for all people. We must commit to not only creating new affordable housing, but also more supportive housing and subsidized housing. We all have to work together to ensure housing for everyone.