During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi discussed the housing crisis enveloping many states – and asked for more federal help to address it. With such an impactful and widespread problem, Shekarchi said, “I respectfully request that Congress provide states with greater funding mechanisms and grant opportunities […]
housing
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Sept. 20, 2024
On national pepperoni pizza day, you could do worse than the Roni Island at Pizza Marvin. 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 OF […]
Posted inHousing, Local
A RI town manager on how the state should, and shouldn’t, spur more housing
From the urban core to the beachfront, Rhode Island is looking for solutions to its housing crisis. At the statehouse, there’s been some pressure on cities and towns to change their zoning laws to allow more housing. But there has also been pushback. For our series Zoned Out: How local zoning hurts efforts to solve […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 30, 2024
You love it when Peter Farrelly sneaks in a Rhode Island reference. 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 OF THE WEEK: Running for […]
Posted inHousing, Local
How racist restrictions in housing deeds helped shape where Rhode Islanders live today
Mark Brown was flipping through property records in Warwick City Hall when he encountered something unexpected. As part of his volunteer work with the local historic cemetery commission, he was looking to see if a small cemetery had a right-of-way attached to it. What he found in a deed from 1940 for a neighboring house […]
Posted inHousing, Local, South County Bureau
How large-lot zoning contributes to Rhode Island’s big housing shortfall
The corner of Gardiner and Ten Rod Roads in Exeter looks a lot like a place to take a hike. It’s wooded, quiet, and abuts 26 acres of densely grown trees. “It certainly would make a great nature preserve,” Colin Penney, executive director of South County Habitat for Humanity, said on a recent visit to […]
Posted inHousing, Local
HousingWorks RI’s Brenda Clement on addressing zoning challenges at the local level
Housing costs in Rhode Island continue to explode, thanks in part to a lack of supply. One reason there isn’t enough housing: local zoning laws limit what can be built where. For our series Zoned Out: How local zoning hurts efforts to solve Rhode Island’s decades-long housing shortage, The Public’s Radio’s Dave Fallon interviewed Brenda […]
Posted inStories
What do you know about affordable housing in Rhode Island? Tell us.
The Public’s Radio wants to hear from you about what it’s like to try and access affordable housing. As the state pours millions of dollars into constructing thousands of new affordable homes, we want to understand what happens once the units are built, and people apply to live in them. We created this short questionnaire […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
UNH poll finds 29% approval rating for Gov. McKee
A University of New Hampshire poll published Thursday finds that Gov. Dan McKee has a 29% approval rating and that 60% of Rhode Islanders think the state is on the wrong track. The findings, based on online responses earlier this month from 598 Rhode Islanders, signal a warning for McKee ahead of the 2026 race […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Politics
Rhode Island officials welcome federal housing grant
Rhode Island officials say a newly announced $3.8 million federal grant will help the state to make more headway against its housing crisis. Kimberly McClain, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, attended a news conference Wednesday in the state library at the Statehouse, complete with an oversized check. “It is […]
