It took Ken and Erika Hill nearly a year to find a home within their budget, at a size they could use – and that was with the qualifications for affordable housing and the knowledge from a homebuyers’ class.
The Hills searched across the state, looking for a home that they, their children, and Erika’s mother and father could inhabit, but “it was sticker shock when we started looking at the prices of houses,” Ken said.
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“At least, the ones we could fit in,” added Erika.
Eventually, the Hills found a home, making them a success story in a state where affordable housing is often difficult to find. Now, with a $50 million bond referendum on November’s state ballot, elected and philanthropic leaders want to create more success stories like theirs.
The Vote Yes on 9 campaign kicked off last Monday in the back yard of a soon-to-be owner-occupied home on Douglas Avenue in Providence, where people from all walks of life called for approval of the referendum question.
If approved, the bond would help pay for the first 1,000 housing units of the 5,000 the state is aiming to create in a five-year period.
The campaign is being spearheaded by HousingWorksRI, a coalition of advocacy groups and businesses across the state. The idea is “50 days, 50 stories,” highlighting the stories of Rhode Islanders – like the Hills – who struggle to find affordable housing.
Making an emotional appeal, The Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, called on supporters to make their voices heard at the polls in November, and to make a difference in the community.
“The individuals and families that have no place to live are, in fact, our sisters and brothers,” Bishop Tobin said. “It is a concern.”
Lt. Gov. Charlie Fogarty, who is running for governor, said the lack of affordable housing has a disastrous effect on the state. The dearth of homes available to people in lower income brackets has stunted economic development and pushed people out of Rhode Island’s communities, he said.
In Glocester, where Fogarty lives, rising home prices have pushed people into neighboring Connecticut communities, he said. In 1999, the median price of a home in Glocester was about $125,000; six years later, the median price sits above $300,000, he said. “Many of the people that bought their home in 1999 couldn’t afford to buy it today,” Fogarty said.
Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, who is finishing up his first term as governor, said he has been advocating for affordable housing since taking office, and several initiatives and funding mechanisms have helped move that goal forward.
Money has been placed in state budgets for the Neighborhood Opportunities Program, which has helped build hundreds of affordable homes since it was established in 2001.
Carcieri also pointed to the state historic tax credit program, which gives developers incentives for reusing existing buildings. The program has been linked to affordable housing because developers often include a less-than-market-rate component in their projects.
Now, the $50 million bond could help further the push to bring affordable housing to the state, Carcieri said. “These are all pieces of a puzzle that will enable us to move forward.”
Ken and Erika Hill support the bond question because of the opportunities it would open up for people like them.
Since the beginning of the year, they have lived in a two-family in Silver Lake that is just what they had been looking for. They’re telling their story to help others.
“This is not about politicians or the media,” Ken Hill said. “This is about people like us.”
