PROVIDENCE –
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi on Thursday joined state officials and housing advocates at the Statehouse to unveil a 15-bill housing package, a continuation of Smith Hill efforts to address Rhode Island’s housing shortage and expand upon previous legislative efforts.
Shekarchi had a message to those who oppose new housing development.
"Change is coming," he said.
“Look around, have we solved the problem? No, not even close."
There have been 30 pieces of housing legislation introduced in the House since Shekarchi became House speaker. Many of the new proposals stem from previous testimony and recommendation from state housing commissions. Others are updates to previously approved legislation or enabling legislation that municipalities can choose to utilize.
Shekarchi said there are currently about 600 single-family homes on the market in Rhode Island, a number which usually hovers around 4,000.
“It’s a supply and demand issue,” he said. “Unfortunately, Rhode Island does not have enough housing supply to keep up with demand. Too many years of being dead last in the country for new housing permits have caught up with us."
Shekarchi also addressed concerns these proposals could erode local control of land use and zoning.
“None of it takes away any local decision-making processes,” he said. “The goal is to develop more housing at every single level.
"We don't have a monopoly on good ideas," he said.
The following proposals, which Shekarchi said prioritize "production, production, production" are being introduced in the House:
- Legislation giving homeowners the right to develop an accessory dwelling unit for a family member with a disability, within the existing footprint of their structures, or on any lot larger than 20,000 square feet, provided that the design satisfies building code, size limits and infrastructure requirements. (This legislation passed the House on Feb. 14.)
- Allowing by-right manufactured homes constructed in accordance with federal regulations as an alternative option to "stick-built homes" where single-family housing is allowed.
- Creating a pilot program giving municipalities the authority to combine zoning and planning boards into a single entity so long as the meeting agenda reflects what authority an application is being heard under.
- Allow by-right residential uses in commercial zones.
- Clarify the structure of the State Building Code Office and the building code commissioner by modifying statutory language to create a similar scope of responsibility and authority over building code issues.
- Providing greater transparency of the state housing database to be adapted to fit development applications.
- Establish an 11-member commission to study the ability of the state's educational system to offer degrees or certificates for planning professionals and report back to the General Assembly by Jan. 1, 2025.
- Amend the existing statute for abandoned properties to further require municipal inventory to report “abandoned” properties” as defined in statute and clarifies the process regarding the required abatement of abandoned properties.
- Amend various provisions relative to subdivision of land review, review stages, special provisions related to development, and the procedures for approvals from various permitting authorities.
- Provide amendments to the requirements under the inclusionary zoning law for affordable housing development, which municipalities use to require that affordable units are created in conjunction with the development of market rate units.
- Amend zoning ordinances regarding wetland buffers to projects for development, clarifying that there can be no local regulation of coastal wetlands and freshwater wetlands beyond current state agency requirements.
- Requires cities and towns to allow up to three disclosed options on the types of financial security provided by developers on projects that include public improvements. And prohibiting municipalities from limiting the bond to one specific type.
- Amend the provisions under which a municipality can limit accepting and hearing development applications and limit building permits, and specifies the time frame in which those limitations can be in place.
- Allow municipalities to count mobile home units as affordable housing if they are permanent housing. Mobile homes would be applied toward the 10% threshold of a municipality’s housing stock, with .5 credit per qualifying mobile home.
- Enable statewide planning agencies to broaden the state’s Geographic Information System to include updated municipal information.
Senate companion bills have not been filed yet.
Joining Shekarchi was Thomas E. Deller, town planner of Johnston and chair of the state's Special Legislative Commission to Study the Entire Area of Land Use, who said “the status quo is not working.”
“We need to be willing to implement changes if we want to truly fix our housing shortage," he said.
Brenda Clement, executive director of HousingWorks RI at Roger Williams University, cited the organization's annual Housing Factbook, which for years has found that one out of three Rhode Islanders are housing cost burdened.
"In our small state that means either you are the one or someone within your family or community is struggling to keep a roof over their head or doesn’t have one,” she said.
Shekarchi said there are several other housing-related bills being proposed in addition to this legislative package, including proposals that address rental prices, the use of digital algorithms in the real estate industry.
(SUBS 26th paragraph to note no Senate companion bills yet.)
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at Allen@PBN.com
why were the ridiculously high property taxes not mentioned?
please explain how that is not part of the decision process when deciding if it is a viable reason to invest in development by the private sector.
We do know that property developers are the biggest philanthropists in the state, but I think they need some incentive to not raise rents based on increased property taxes.
but what do I know? Please educate me.