Rhode Island
Proposed lumber tariffs could tighten the screws on Rhode Island’s housing market – What's Up Newp
As Rhode Island continues to grapple with a mounting housing crisis, proposed federal tariffs on lumber and other essential building materials could add more pressure to an already strained market. While the policy change is national in scope, its impacts will be felt acutely here at home—especially by homebuyers, builders, and affordable housing developers striving to meet demand in one of the nation’s tightest markets.
The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced an increase in tariffs on Canadian lumber imports—an essential resource for home construction. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), these tariffs could raise the average cost of building a single-family home in the U.S. by tens of thousands of dollars, and potentially even significantly more.
This is particularly problematic in Rhode Island, where demand continues to outpace housing supply and affordability is increasingly out of reach for many. The bulk of new residential construction in the Ocean State uses wood-frame methods, and wood comprises approximately 75% of the total material in these builds. A 25% increase in the cost of lumber could drive up overall construction costs by as much as 15%, and once you factor in financing and developer overhead, that number could jump to 20% or more. That additional cost almost always gets passed along to buyers and renters.
Local developers are already taking defensive steps. Some affordable housing organizations have begun pre-ordering materials—such as appliances and materials—to get ahead of potential price increases on large-scale projects. But for many builders, especially smaller firms or those working within tight funding parameters or budgets, there’s only so much that can be done to absorb the rising cost of materials.
Across Aquidneck Island and coastal South County—where developable land is limited and permitting processes can be lengthy—even modest cost increases can make or break a project. When costs rise, developers either delay building, scale back their projects, or shelve them altogether. That means fewer homes being built in neighborhoods that desperately need them.
This cost volatility couldn’t come at a worse time. Rhode Island’s median single-family home price has soared to $450,000 this year—up more than 40% since the pandemic. And with interest rates hovering around 7%, many potential buyers are already priced out of the market. An increase in build cost might not mean much to institutional developers, but for a middle-income buyer, it could be the difference between qualifying for a mortgage or not.
According to HousingWorks RI, more than 35% of Rhode Island households are already “cost burdened,” meaning they spend over 30% of their income on housing. With construction costs climbing, the long-term consequences could include an even tighter market, greater competition for limited inventory, and further displacement of working-class families.
For towns like Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, and Jamestown—where the tourism economy depends heavily on service workers and seasonal staff—the housing crisis is not just a real estate issue. It’s an economic one.
Local builders are already contending with labor shortages, long lead times on materials, and increased regulatory hurdles. The added strain from tariffs on essential materials like lumber and steel could tip the scales further. In some cases, it could push builders out of the market entirely, stalling much-needed housing production and weakening the already fragile pipeline of workforce housing.
Trade policy may seem far removed from the day-to-day realities of the local housing market here in Newport County, but its effects are anything but distant. As federal agencies continue to review and implement new tariff structures, Rhode Islanders, particularly those hoping to buy, rent, or build in the near future, will feel the ripple effects.
It’s now up to state and local officials, along with housing advocates and developers, to make the case for creative solutions. That could include increased public subsidies for affordable housing projects, expedited permitting processes, or state-level programs to help mitigate cost increases due to federal policy changes.
At a time when the state is working to add tens of thousands of new housing units by 2030, the impact of these proposed tariffs on wood-frame construction must be closely monitored. And for Rhode Islanders, this isn’t just a policy issue in Washington. It’s a kitchen-table issue at home.
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Dreamflight has released its rendition of Rhode Island for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024.
Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (KPVD) features the Bruce Sundlun Terminal, a modern two-level facility with North and South concourses housing around 20 gates. It’s served by major U.S. airlines, including American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and Breeze, offering frequent connections to major hubs such as Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and Washington, along with seasonal routes to Florida and select Caribbean destinations.
Dreamflight’s version of TF Green Airport delivers an accurate and up-to-date recreation of the real location, featuring a fully modelled terminal interior, detailed ground work, and the current 2025 layout. Handcrafted textures, tuned night lighting, and realistic clutter help bring the environment to life, while static aircraft placements match real-world operations. The package also includes a GSX profile for enhanced ground service compatibility.
You can buy it from Contrail for 16.99 (excluding taxes).
Features
- Accurate, data-driven airport recreation – Modeled using real-world references to deliver the most precise TF Green experience available
- High-quality textures and detailed custom modeling
- Fully modeled terminal interior
- Custom ground poly – Realistic pavement detail, accurate taxiway markings, and updated surface materials
- Up-to-date 2025 airport layout
- Professionally tuned night lighting
- ATC tower interior
- Authentic ground clutter and service equipment
- Patriots 767 parked as in real life, static business jets
- Handcrafted PBR materials
- Detailed parking lots and landside areas
- GSX Profile by pvrlpe
WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) — Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport is undergoing a multimillion-dollar project to improve the airport’s terminal.
The project includes multiple new restaurants and stores along with a new decorative flooring that will replace the old carpet throughout the terminal.
The new restaurants inside the terminal include Narragansett Kitchen and Bar in the North Concourse, replacing the location of the old TGI Fridays.
“It’s a great facility, we opened this in May of this year, it’s over a $2 million investment,” said Nikolas Persson, executive vice president of business development. “We want to make sure that when our passengers are arriving here, they have the best impression of our state, and when they’re leaving that the last impression is a lasting one.”
In the South Concourse, the new restaurant is Federal Hill, an Italian restaurant.
Federal Hill is a new restaurant in the South Concourse at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick. (WJAR)
The old Providence Provisions will be replaced with a new Block Island-inspired seafood restaurant.
A Burger King will also replace Rhode Island Burger Co. near the TSA security line.
“We want to make sure that our of our customers have something that their familiar with,” said Persson.
The project to install the new retail and restaurant attractions cost $21 million, while the flooring cost $20.5 million.
According to the airport, the projects are funded by federal funds and airport revenue, not taxpayer money.
It’s not clear what will happen to the sailboat at the information center at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick. (WJAR)
The airport said it’s unclear what will happen to the sailboat by the information desk at baggage claim. But the airport ensures the live piano music will remain.
In the near future, the airport will undergo a $64 million project to improve its walls, ceilings, seating and lighting. Each project at the airport is done in phases.
Rhode Island
Ammonia leak from Rhode Island food processing facility sends 13 to hospital, 2 in critical condition
More than a dozen people were hospitalized, including two in critical condition, after falling ill from an ammonia leak at a food processing facility in Rhode Island on Thursday night, officials said.
Hazmat teams were working to ventilate the Infinity Fresh Kitchen facility, which is run in partnership with Taylor Farms in North Kingston, after an anhydrous ammonia leak around 6 p.m., according to the state’s Department of Environmental Management.
Thirteen people were hospitalized and two are in critical condition, the department said.
“We had people coming out of the building complaining that they were smelling of ammonia with irritation to their eyes and throats. There was no liquid ammonia leak, it was all vapor,” North Kingstown Fire Chief John Linacre told WJAR.
The Department of Environmental Management explained that a technician at the facility turned the ammonia system off, so a full evacuation wasn’t required.
The agency is still probing the cause of the leak. Linacre told the outlet that they suspected it originated from a valve on the roof that came loose, which created an opening for the air intake to suck the ammonia into the facility.
Taylor Farms was previously fined a whopping $650,000 for an ammonia leak that stemmed from its refrigeration system and sent 15 employees to the hospital in 2020.
Last week, 36 people were hospitalized, including four in critical condition, after ammonia leaked out of a tanker truck that was rolling through a small city in Oklahoma. Roughly 600 people in the surrounding area had to shelter in place for hours until officials gave the all-clear.
In 2022, one HVAC contractor died and another was sickened at a food plant in Massachusetts when an ammonia pipe they were working near started to leak.
Exposure to ammonia can cause severe irritation, burns, and difficulty breathing. In high concentrations, it can lead to life-threatening conditions.
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