If only he could turn his gavel into a magic wand, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi said he could make remarkably fast-paced progress in tackling Rhode Island’s housing crisis. Instead, without the ability to defy the iron laws of the marketplace, Shekarchi found himself unveiling Thursday another package of bills meant to narrow the disparity between […]
housing
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 24, 2025
It’s always coldest before the approach to spring training. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** 1. STORY OF THE WEEK: President Trump’s use of an executive order to try […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Metro Desk
RI Housing Secretary says pallet shelters at ECHO Village will open in a matter of weeks
The long-awaited 45 shelter beds at ECHO Village, Rhode Island’s first pallet shelter community, will soon be available to the state’s rapidly growing homeless population, according to testimony from Rhode Island Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard at a senate hearing on Tuesday afternoon. “I’ve not given a date in the past because we’ve disappointed so many […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Dec. 20, 2024
The local pols were all snug in their beds, while visions of plush campaign checks danced in their heads. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and what we used to call the twitters. My column is taking next week off — happy holidays! — so this missive will next materialize on […]
Posted inEducation, Housing, Local, South County Bureau
URI plans more student housing. Can that help the housing crunch in South County?
As interest in attending the University of Rhode Island continues to grow, the state’s flagship university said Wednesday it plans to build more student housing. URI plans to lease state land on the Kingston campus to a private developer, which would then build and operate student housing on the land, the university said in a […]
Posted inNPR
How to be not lonely? ‘Cohousing’ is an answer for some people
In cohousing communities, neighbors share common spaces, chores and a sense of connection that benefits everyone. For some, it’s an answer to the isolation of parenting that many families feel today.
Posted inHousing, Local, Politics, Transportation
McKee appoints former MA official as housing secretary
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee announced Thursday the appointment of Deborah J. Goddard as the state’s housing secretary. If confirmed by the state Senate, Goddard will fill a vacancy created in July when former Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor left for an unspecified private sector job in the finance sector. He is now a partner at […]
Posted inHousing, Local
It’s getting harder to afford a home in Rhode Island, new data shows
If you make less than $100,000 a year you can’t comfortably afford to buy a home in Rhode Island, according to new data from the think tank HousingWorksRI at Roger Williams University. And if you make less than $75,000 you can’t afford to rent. In its annual housing factbook, which it released on Friday, HousingWorksRI […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Oct. 4, 2024
Yeah, I actually like raking leaves, but don’t expect me to come do this at your yard. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Sept. 27, 2024
There is so much pent-up demand for retelling the tale of the secret apartment at Providence Place that it could be a growth industry for Rhode Island (who needs Hasbro?). You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my […]
