Rhode Island

RI needs strong partnerships to produce more housing | Opinion

Published

2 years ago

February 17, 2024

RI needs strong partnerships to produce more housing | Opinion

Scott Millar
| Guest columnist

Rhode Island has a serious housing crisis and every municipality has an obligation to help solve this statewide problem. However, some of the housing laws adopted in the last legislative session are not consistent with long-standing state policies. There will be unintended consequences, and these laws will not fully achieve the objective of creating more low- and moderate-income housing.

The creation of more housing should follow the vision established in the State Land Use Policies and Plan 2025 that called for growth to be concentrated within areas where development could be adequately served by public water, sewers, mass transportation and other supporting infrastructure. All cities and towns are required to be consistent with the plan. In areas without supporting infrastructure, the state established polices for low-density development with clustered growth, where appropriate, to conserve essential natural resources.

More: After nearly being killed, Warren’s Penny Lane affordable housing project back on track.

The land use plan also had clear policies to protect invaluable drinking water supplies needed to sustain growth statewide. All the sites identified by the statewide planning program to support high residential densities were in areas with supporting infrastructure. This comprehensive and thoughtful approach to growth would direct development where it was most suitable, to avoid negative impacts to the environment and community character and to maintain the natural, cultural and recreational assets that make Rhode Island an attractive place to live, work and play.

Several of the housing laws adopted last year will encourage haphazard density that does not comply with state policies.

One law allows the conversion of existing commercial buildings to residential use and restricts municipal authority. A density of 15 dwelling units per acre is allowed by law. A mandated density of 15 units per acre in areas without supporting infrastructure is excessive and is not consistent with the State Land Use Policies and Plan. This can randomly add density to land that does not have a safe yield of drinking water from onsite wells and can’t support more development without negative impacts to water quality.

The Land Development and Subdivision Review Act was changed to place a new burden on an already taxed municipal planning staff. The responsibilities of town planners have increased significantly and the time to review and approve applications has decreased. Development projects that were previously reviewed in an open and public meeting will now be approved administratively. The new process lacks transparency and empowers an administrative officer to make unilateral decisions for multi-million dollar projects without any public input. This policy is a step backward for gaining the public’s trust in the land development process.

An amendment to the existing law to encourage more low- and moderate-income housing (LMI) has backfired. It has encouraged towns to repeal existing LMI ordinances. The new LMI law allows more market rate housing, making it impossible for municipalities to meet their 10% low- and moderate-income housing mandates.

More: Rhode Island’s housing crisis is at a breaking point. How did we get here?

The need for more housing should be done comprehensively and be implemented by considering all the other issues municipalities are required to assess in accordance with the Rhode Island Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Act.

To be successful in producing more housing, Rhode Island must have strong partnerships between state and municipal governments, the private sector and nonprofits. Establishing inflexible state mandates does not foster good partnerships.

Municipalities need financial and technical assistance to establish creative approaches to housing that must be customized to meet unique municipal needs.

Changes to the existing land use statutes will not be effective without comprehensively addressing all the economic and other issues that have caused the housing crisis.

Each of our cities and towns have unique characteristics, but by working together Rhode Island can solve the housing crisis and revise legislation in a way that appreciates the nuances of each community to maintain our beautiful state.

Scott Millar is an environmental scientist and land use planner.

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Rhode Island

New docuseries exploring Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystem premieres Friday – What’s Up Newp

Published

11 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

New docuseries exploring Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystem premieres Friday – What’s Up Newp

A new documentary series celebrating Rhode Island’s coastal wildlife and conservation efforts premieres Friday on Ocean State Media.

“Ocean State: Rhode Island’s Wild Coast” debuts with its first episode, “Secrets of the Seagrass,” at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 on WSBE. The episode will be followed by a re-run of “Chasing Fins,” a short documentary about the Atlantic Shark Institute’s shark research in Rhode Island.

The premiere episode explores eelgrass meadows, often called the “nurseries of the sea,” which support diverse marine life while playing a critical role in coastal resilience, water quality and climate mitigation.

Filmed across Rhode Island and New England, the episode features species including American lobster, American eel and bay scallops that depend on healthy eelgrass ecosystems. It also highlights scientists and conservationists from Save the Bay and The Nature Conservancy working on habitat restoration.

“Eelgrass meadows are foundational to the health of our coastal waters, yet many people have never seen them or understood their importance,” director Tomas Koeck said. “This episode brings viewers beneath the surface to reveal how interconnected these systems are—and what’s at stake if we lose them.”

The series is produced by Silent Flight Studios in partnership with Ocean State Media.

“Given our strong, shared connection with the bay and our coastline, we’re excited to share this fascinating new series,” Ocean State Media President and CEO Pam Johnston said.

Future episodes will explore landscapes, wildlife and people shaping the region’s natural heritage.

**Ocean State Media Premieres New Docuseries on Rhode Island’s Dynamic Coastal Ecosystem (Ocean State Media)**

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Rhode Island

RI Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 6, 2026

Published

23 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

09-39-47-58-68, Mega Ball: 24

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

10-13-24-27-31, Lucky Ball: 08

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

Midday: 4-0-3-7

Evening: 0-5-5-7

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

04-09-22-26-33, Extra: 36

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.

When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Rhode Island

Rhode Island weighs new tax on highest earners as Trump policy pressures mount

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Rhode Island weighs new tax on highest earners as Trump policy pressures mount

The proposed new income levy would build on the state’s “Taylor Swift tax,” adding to a growing web of state-level measures impacting affluent households.

Rhode Island is moving closer to a new tax on high earners, adding to a growing patchwork of state measures aimed at the wealthy that advisors will have to keep tabs on for affluent clients with multistate ties.

Governor Dan McKee, who previously resisted calls for higher income taxes, is now signaling openness to a surtax on top earners as federal cuts squeeze the state’s finances.

As reported by Bloomberg, Lawmakers are revisiting a proposal for a 3% surtax on income above $640,000, roughly the top 1% of earners in the state, to help plug a projected deficit of at least $101 million for the fiscal year starting in July. McKee’s office has also floated an income threshold of $1 million for any wealth tax.

“We are in a spot where we’re going to have to address some of those headwinds that are coming our way from DC,” McKee said, pointing to reductions in Medicaid, food assistance and other programs by the federal government under President Donald Trump.

The debate in Providence mirrors a broader shift among Democratic policymakers who are turning to high-income households and owners of luxury property to shore up budgets and address what they see as a K-shaped economy. Neighboring Massachusetts has become a key reference point with its 4% surtax on income above $1 million, approved in 2022, which has reportedly generated billions in additional revenue.

On the West Coast, a billionaire tax proposal in California that would place a one-time 5% levy on all the worldwide assets of billionaires who resided in the state as of January 1 has sparked swift reactions from critics warning of a resultant wealth exodus.

For advisors, Rhode Island is already a test case in using real estate taxes to target the wealthy. A new surcharge on second homes valued at more than $1 million, dubbed the “Taylor Swift tax,” takes effect this summer. For non-primary residences, or properties not occupied more than half the year, the state will charge $2.50 for every $500 in assessed value above the first $1 million, on top of existing property taxes.

Read more: “Fearless” singer Taylor Swift joins billionaires’ club on prestigious women’s rich list

Luxury brokers have warned the levy hits the very people supporting much of the local economy in seasonal communities like Newport and Watch Hill. “These are people who just come here for the summer, spend their money and pay their fair share of taxes,” Donna Krueger-Simmons, a sales agent in Watch Hill, told CNBC when that property tax was unveiled. “They’re getting penalized just because they also live somewhere else.”

Critics say some second-home owners are weighing sales and prospective buyers are pausing purchases or looking to coastal alternatives in nearby Connecticut. That kind of cross-border arbitrage will be familiar territory for advisors whose clients can choose among multiple high-end destinations.

Advocates counter that higher taxes on second homes and top incomes are necessary to keep tourist towns livable for year-round workers who keep service economies running. One commentary by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy argues that wealthy vacation-home owners and high earners can absorb surtaxes that fund housing, infrastructure and local services, and that states should design broad, progressive real estate and income tax systems rather than leaning on middle-income residents.

The proposed income surtax failed to make it into last year’s budget but is expected to be a central flashpoint in the current session. Rhode Island Senate President Valarie Lawson has supported earlier versions, while House Speaker Joe Shekarchi has said he is open to the idea but uncertain where the income line should be drawn.

“You can say tax the rich, but what is the rich?” he said.

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