Rent control won’t solve Providence’s steep rental prices – The Boston Globe

Part of the story is the pandemic-era shift toward smaller cities. But the larger truth is Providence has not built enough housing to keep up with demand. In 2024, Rhode Island ranked 50th in the nation for new housing permits – dead last. That isn’t ideology; it is economics.

As housing experts have said, including HousingWorksRI Executive Director Brenda Clement, we have a basic supply-and-demand problem. Expanding housing supply for everyone should be the focus.

To its credit, Providence has begun to move. Recent efforts by Mayor Brett Smiley, the City Council, nonprofit partners, and private developers have created hundreds of new units. More are in the pipeline. That progress must continue.

As rents rise, pressure for immediate relief has grown. The City Council’s proposed solution is rent control: a cap on annual rent increases at 4 percent. In practice, it fails to solve the underlying problem, and creates new ones.

First, rent control does not make today’s rent affordable, it only limits future increases by creating a cap. Many landlords will raise rents to the cap each year. A $2,000 apartment under a 4 percent cap becomes $2,433 after five years – an increase that renters still feel acutely. That is basic compounding, not a worst-case scenario.

Second, rent control would create a hole in Providence’s budget, as it reduces the taxable value of properties. The Smiley administration examined rent-controlled cities and applied the outcomes to Providence’s tax base. The projected annual revenue loss ranges from $10.3 million to $17.5 million.

When rental property values decline, cities are left with two choices: raise taxes or cut services. Education funding, park improvements, library funding, and basic infrastructure all come under pressure. Experience elsewhere shows this burden does not fall on landlords; it shifts to single-family homeowners. Portland, Maine, saw a 5.4 percent reduction in its tax base after rent control, forcing these tradeoffs. The implementation of rent control will affect all Providence residents, whether they rent or own.

Third, rent control discourages new housing production, the opposite of what Providence needs. Developers are less likely to build in cities where future revenue is capped, financing is harder, and long-term costs are unpredictable. St. Paul, Minnesota, offers a cautionary tale. After voters approved a strict rent cap in 2021, new unit creation dropped by more than 84 percent in the first quarter, forcing city leaders to exempt new construction, which is exempt in the Providence City Council rent control proposal.

When we build more housing at all price points, market pressure eases, as supply catches up with demand.

That does not mean ignoring the pain people feel today. I grew up here, attended our public schools, and bought a modest single-family home in the neighborhood where I was raised. I feel today’s housing pressures firsthand and hear them daily from family and neighbors. After 12 years on the council, including a leadership role in 2011 when Providence was on the brink of bankruptcy, I know our elected officials genuinely want workable solutions.

That is why, as executive director of The Providence Foundation, an organization of 140 private business and nonprofit members from myriad industries, I recommended we commission a study by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council to educate the public on this issue and identify solutions. The report revealed the most effective approach to housing shortages and high costs pairs aggressive housing production with targeted rental assistance for households most at risk of displacement.

Cities across the country have shown what works: modernized zoning, faster permitting, conversion of underused commercial space, and temporary rental assistance to help families stay housed while new supply comes online. These strategies outperform rent control. Overcoming the housing challenge will require all levels of government to play a role.

Reasoned policy will meet Providence’s housing needs and strengthen our economy for a brighter tomorrow.

David Salvatore is the executive director of The Providence Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to supporting visionary projects downtown, and a former Providence City Council president and member.