Amazon has a small house for sale, 20’ by 40’, which is larger than the pallets now housing the homeless, with three bedrooms (or choice, like a living room or den if one bedroom is preferred), one kitchen and one bathroom both with built-in appliances, and sink and toilet/shower, respectively, and a porch, for $8,999. Tiny Houses comparable to the pallets but larger in size sell for around $6,600 for one bedroom with the aforesaid amenities. Each unit had its own shower.

So it is no small wonder why House Republican Leader Mike Chippendale asked for a breakdown of how much was paid for contractors to build Echo Village pallet shelters since the 45 smaller pallets cost about $100,000 each after installment

In speaking with contractors, I was told that assembling the Amazon units, adding in heating and cooling elements for connected electrical service and water, would cost an added amount between $8,000 and $10,000 per unit size. Given the one-room size of the existing pallets, the average cost should be around $17,000 per unit. Considering the amortization of such costs over 45 units, Mr. Chippendale is correct to play consumer watchdog and demand  accountability as to the amount of money paid to which contractors and for what.

The McKee administration has dragged out providing the full information for more than a month, well beyond the time allowed for a public records request made by Mr. Chippendale.

Despite his membership on the  House Finance Committee, which entitles him to free records under Rhode Island law 22-6-12, the Department of Housing demanded that he pony up $495 for the records. Housing further punted its response to the House Of Hope, which runs Echo Village, to provide the records, which have not been reported yet. Mr. Chippendale is still waiting, including an explanation as to how the projected $3.1 million cost ballooned to $4.6 million. He noted that a Winnebago which sleeps 5, has a bathroom and meets all codes, cost $25,000, and his research found that the very same pallets purchased for the project are available for $17,000 each.

While the Dept. of Housing continues to stall with the turnover of relevant documents , the House of Hope has told other media, like WPRI, that it was more costly because it set up a separated shower section and a building to have residents visit and receive social work help. It mentioned “staff” but didn’t elaborate as to how that may have factored into construction costs, so that is a mystery that has to be cleared up.

Certainly, as the former director of McAuley House, I , Mr. Chippendale, and all citizens of Rhode Island want nothing more than to provide housing for the homeless (and affordable housing to those working people who are suffering hardship meeting housing costs), but that doesn’t mean it should be a time of spending money improvidently.

Years ago a bond was used to build six $500,000 houses on Pine Street in South Providence because of contractors who didn’t know or chose not to know what they were doing. Only one house sold, for under $175,000.

The story is still unwritten as to why Echo Village cost $4.6 million for 45 pallets. Kudos to Rep. Chippendale for his efforts to find out. It is time for the Mckee administration to stop its obfuscation.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.