The state’s Department of Housing and the quasi-public RIHousing agency are proud to support the package of housing legislation recently introduced by Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi. Since 2021, the administration of Governor Dan McKee has been dedicated to efforts to address Rhode Island’s long-standing housing crisis, which has been exacerbated by years of underinvestment and restrictive land use requirements. Central to these efforts has been a focus on collaboration, with the speaker and his legislative proposals serving as a prime example of the kind of partnership needed to drive meaningful change.
The governor has worked with the speaker and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio to boost funding for housing production and homelessness prevention to historic levels, and to create a permanent funding stream to support production over the long term. Last year, the McKee administration again worked with the General Assembly to include the largest housing bond in the state’s history on the 2024 ballot, which won with broad public support last November.
At the same time, the speaker has spearheaded a series of legislative packages designed to streamline the development-permitting and approval process, and provide consistent statewide standards for land use development, while leaving decision making in the hands of cities and towns. Now, with Speaker Shekarchi’s fifth package of housing legislation, we have the opportunity to build on that by addressing key obstacles that have made housing development in Rhode Island unnecessarily expensive and complex. It is indicative of the collaboration that has marked these proposals that the legislation has garnered the support of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns as well as developers and housing advocates.
In particular, we are pleased to see that the legislation will continue to streamline and digitize the land use approval and permitting process. Several of these bills also focus on increasing the diversity of housing types allowed under zoning ordinances, a much-needed strategy given that 87 percent of Rhode Island is zoned for single-family by right according to the Rhode Island Zoning Atlas developed by HousingWorksRI. These bills would encourage higher-density development near existing transit and infrastructure or in commercially zoned areas or village centers. They would also promote the use of denser housing styles like attached townhouses, creating more affordable homeownership opportunities for working families without sacrificing the character of our neighborhoods. These changes will align with the state’s Housing 2030 plan, and will help ensure that we can meet the diverse housing needs of both urban and rural communities.
The combination of increasing investment and removing regulatory barriers to housing development is critical to growing the supply of housing in Rhode Island, and these efforts are already bearing fruit. From 2021 to 2024, there were over 3,000 new housing units financed by RIHousing that are working their way through the development pipeline. Additionally, in 2023, over 2,400 units were permitted statewide, the most in a single year since before the Great Recession.
The housing crisis is a challenge that impacts all Rhode Islanders. However, with Speaker Shekarchi’s new package of housing bills and the continued support of our community partners, we are making real progress. By cutting through red tape, incentivizing affordable housing, and embracing new ideas, we can create a future where all Rhode Islanders, regardless of income, can find a home they can truly call their own.
The state Department of Housing and RIHousing are grateful for the speaker’s dedication to addressing the state’s housing needs and look forward to the passage of this important legislation, so we can continue to work together to build a more affordable, sustainable Rhode Island for generations to come.
Deborah Goddard is the R.I. Secretary of Housing and RIHousing board chair, and Carol Ventura is the CEO of RIHousing.
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