A Will to Help Neighbors in Need

For decades, Barrington has been considered one of Rhode Island’s most affluent communities. But Wilton Spencer knew that not everyone in town was wealthy. In 1933 Spencer drafted a will that one day would leave millions of dollars and a mission: to help “poor and unfortunate people in Barrington.”

And in 2005 the town received $2.7 million from the Spencer Trust — money that flew largely under the public’s radar until last year. Now there are questions about whether the money is being used the way Wilton Spencer, a onetime resident of the town, directed in his will.

John Cregan, a Barrington native who has served on several town committees is one of those critics. “Here we are nine years and three months later, and there’s still no application, there’s no procedure and there’s no process if someone from town needs money from the Spencer fund for an emergency reason,” he said.

The Spencer Fund caught his attention last year when Cregan discovered the majority of money generated from the trust had been used on so-called affordable housing projects — developments subsidized by the government. That included more than a quarter of a million dollars to help the town buy property on George Street and an interest-free loan the council gave to the developers of an affordable housing complex just off County Road.

“The last will and testament of Mr. Spencer specifically says what the money can be used for: it’s not for land acquisitions,” Cregan said. “I think if someone in town, whether they live in affordable housing complex or Rumstick Point, has a tough time; hits a rough patch; needs help for medical, prescriptions, food or utilities; can’t pay their rent or mortgage; or has some property or family emergency come up, they should be able to get help from the Spencer fund. That’s what it’s there for.”

While records show the town has more recently used some of the Spencer funds for emergency home repairs and heating system conversions, the funds were earmarked early on for land acquisition and legal and engineering costs that led to the purchase on George Street. After a huge public outcry, the council last month backed off its plan to use that property for affordable housing and now must reimburse the Trust.

“The government certainly has an obligation to provide people with housing if they cannot provide it for themselves,” said Barrington Town Council President June Speakman, a driving force behind several affordable housing projects in town. Speakman tells The Hummel Report she believes Spencer Trust money is a perfectly appropriate use of the funds — a view that not everyone on the council shares.

“Housing is a fundamental human need and without housing you can’t do much else as a family,” Speakman said. “So in my view, providing funding for housing, whoever provides it, is absolutely essential if you’re going to take care of poor and unfortunate people. Housing is the first need that should be met.”

Cregan wonders why the council didn’t publicize the fund and its designated use when the money arrived in 2005. Even Tap-In, the longtime social service agency next door to Town Hall, didn’t know about the Spencer Trust until 2012 and only recently received funding.

“We had a recession for seven years after that. Announce it to the world,” Cregan said. “The (council) should be happy. It’s like being Santa Claus. You’d help residents and save money. And what happened? The exact opposite.”

Critics say the council has been vague about who can qualify for the funds and how to apply for them. There is no online form or hotline number. Right now all requests are going through town planner Phil Hervey, who is using the template of a federal assistance form as an application.

The Hummel Report learned Hervey denied a request last year from a woman whose well ran dry and needed a $2,500 emergency hookup to the Bristol County Water Authority, even though the fund had hundreds of thousands of dollars available. She met income requirements.

The woman tells The Hummel Report Hervey said there were “many more people with needs greater than yours.’’ Hervey’s boss, town manager Peter DeAngelis, admits the administration of the funds is still a work in progress.

Speakman said the woman should contact the council directly with an appeal.

But should the council even be overseeing the money? Speakman says yes, but at last month’s council meeting, a veteran trust attorney suggested management of the fund was beyond the expertise of town solicitor Michael Ursillo, who drafted bylaws in 2012 and specifically included the words ‘affordable housing’ as an acceptable use for the money after the council had been operating without bylaws for seven years.

“The town’s got to hire a trust attorney and guide them on this and let them know that you can’t change the last will and testament of someone who is leaving you money,” Cregan said. “You can’t change the intent; it was very clear.”

As a result of our story, the woman who was denied money for her emergency water hookup will be meeting soon with town officials to revisit her application for Spencer Trust funding.

The Hummel Report is a 501 3C non-profit organization that relies, in part, on your donations. If you have a story idea or want make a donation  go to www.hummelreport.org. Or mail Jim directly at jim@hummelreport.org