Public Health & Recreation

Fewer Rhode Island Communities Reaching Affordable Housing Minimums, New Report Finds

Share

Providence lacks affordable housing, especially on the city’s East Side. (Frank Carini/ecoRI News)

There are fewer municipalities this year in Rhode Island that achieved the 10% percent affordable housing minimum set by the state compared to last year.

According to HousingWorks RI’s latest report, only four communities reached the 10% threshold of low- and moderate-income housing (LMIH) mandated by Rhode Island law, compared to five communities in 2023.

Low- and moderate-income housing, according to state law, is based on the median income of a community and adjusted for household size.

Newport, Woonsocket, Providence, and Central Falls all maintained at least 10% LMHI in 2023, but Exeter saw its percentage drop from more than 10% to just over 7%.

Exeter was among 12 towns or cities in the state that saw a decrease over the last year, although all the other communities decreased by less than a percentage point.

Decreases can be caused by a number of issues, ecoRI News has previously reported, including expirations on the deed restrictions that make properties affordable.

East Greenwich had the biggest bump over the last year; it was one of 12 communities that saw an increase, at just over 1%, but it still did not achieve the affordable housing minimum.

Most communities saw no change at all.

Percentages of affordable housing are just one piece of the complicated housing affordability picture and the ongoing crisis that has led to some legislative moves in Rhode Island over the last few years.

On top of funding already allocated to housing, Question 3 on the ballot in Rhode Island in November would allot $120 million for housing if approved.

In HousingWorks RI’s executive summary from the 2024 factbook, it notes that for the first time in the state, a household with an annual income of less than $100,000 cannot afford to buy a house in any of Rhode Island’s 39 cities or towns.

The lack of affordable places to live and rent has pushed agriculture workers out of the communities where they want to or already farm. Affordable housing, which tends to be denser and focused in town and city centers, can also prevent the urban sprawl that can encroach and damage undeveloped areas and natural resources.

“While affordability challenges continue to maintain momentum, Rhode Island has taken some key steps in the General Assembly this past year to work to combat this crisis,” HousingWorks RI executive director Brenda Clement said in a statement, citing Question 3 and other initiatives. “We must continue to increase efforts and do more at every level to ensure Rhode Islanders have a safe, secure, and affordable place to call home.”

Join the Discussion

View Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your support keeps our reporters on the environmental beat.

Reader support is at the core of our nonprofit news model. Together, we can keep the environment in the headlines.

cookie