Helena Foulkes, candidate for Governor, rolls out her housing plan for Rhode Island

Proposed Millionaire’s Tax to build 20,000 new Homes and apartments

Housing is too expensive in Rhode Island, and it is holding our state back. One third of Rhode Island households are paying more than one third of their income toward housing costs.  We need results-focused leadership to build more homes and apartments that people can afford. Helena Buonanno Foulkes today released her housing plan designed to build more homes of all kinds, lower the cost of owning and renting, and protect tenants from being taken advantage of. 

“When I talk to Rhode Islanders, they tell me how much they love living here, but I also hear that the cost of buying or renting is making it harder and harder to stay,” said Helena. “Housing in Rhode Island costs too much because we lack adequate supply, and under this governor we’re 50th in the nation in new home starts. I will be a governor who will get shovels in the ground to build tens of thousands of new homes and apartments that Rhode Islanders can afford.” 

Recent reporting found that there is no community in Rhode Island where it is affordable to buy a home. The primary driver of the skyrocketing cost of housing is inadequate supply. Experts project that Rhode Island needs to add tens of thousands of new units for supply to catch up to demand. The General Assembly has done great work on housing in recent years, but what has been missing is executive leadership. Rhode Island still ranks 50th in the country in housing starts. Last year, Rhode Island added fewer than 1,000 new housing units, and the governor’s $120 million bond to address the housing crisis is expected to result in only 600 additional homes. 

Given the magnitude of the housing crisis, Helena Buonanno Foulkes is proposing an “all-of-the-above” plan to build thousands of homes and apartments quickly: dedicated funding, smart investments, less red tape, and a governor focused on making Rhode Island more affordable for everyone. 

The Rhode Home Program consists of: 

A Millionaire’s Tax for Housing

Last summer, Congress passed and President Trump signed a budget that drastically cuts the social safety net in favor of tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Every millionaire in Rhode Island benefited from this ill-advised federal tax giveaway. Against this backdrop, Helena is proposing a millionaire’s tax to establish a billion-dollar fund to build 20,000 homes and apartments that Rhode Islanders can afford. Specifically, the plan calls for an additional 3% income tax on incomes of $1 million and above. Within eight years, the fund will have generated over a billion dollars, which will be used to leverage private, federal and philanthropic dollars to construct over 20,000 homes. 

Thanks to Charlestown Citizens Alliance leader Ruth Platner, Charlestown housing is still unaffordable

Renters face housing crunch in latest HousingWorks RI report

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Since taking control of the Charlestown Planning Commission, CCA founder and de facto leader Ruth Platner has made it almost impossible to build family housing

Last year marked the first time no community in Rhode Island was affordable to a household earning under $100,000 a year. And now this year is the first time the median renter cannot afford an average two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the state.

That’s one of the many bleak takeaways of the latest housing factbook released Friday by HousingWorks RI, the housing policy research group based at Roger Williams University. This year’s report determined that the lowest income to affordably rent the average-priced two-bedroom apartment, including utilities, is $60,320.

The average renter in Rhode Island earned an annual income of $48,434 in 2024, according to the 84-page report.

Simply put, “Rhode Islanders continued to face a challenging housing market,” the factbook says.

Among the many major factors leading to the smallest state’s affordability crisis: There just aren’t enough places for people to live. 

A healthy rental market typically has a vacancy rate of 5 to 8%, according to the factbook. Data from the Federal Reserve notes a statewide rental vacancy rate of 2.6% in 2024. 

Town Council meeting is TOMORROW

 

Fellow Charlestown Residents,   The Charlestown Town Council will have their first regular meeting of the month on Tuesday, October 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The agenda can be read here. Some important topics for the meeting are: Resolution of Respect in honor of former Town Councilor J. Michael Downey Public hearing on a proposed change to the Ordinance establishing the Wastewater Management Commission, to allow the Commission to function with as few as three members. Public hearing on the Ordinance relating to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), as required to conform with State law. Please join us at the following places and times to meet our endorsed candidates. Friday - October 11 - Rippy's Liquor and Marketplace - 4 PM to 6 PM Friday - October 18 - Rippy's Liquor and Marketplace - 4 PM to 6 PM Saturday - October 19 - Octoberfest Luncheon - hosted by the Charlestown Republican Town Committee 11:00 AM at Downey Weaver American Legion - $35 per person - More info at CharlestownRIgop.com Sunday - October 20 - Charlestown Mini-Super 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Friday - October 25 - Rippy's Liquor and Marketplace - 4 PM to 6 PM Rippy's Liquor and Marketplace is at 4158 South County Trail, Charlestown Downey Weaver American Legion is at 22 Whipple Drive, Charlestown Charlestown Mini-Super is at 4071 Old Post Road, Charlestown For more information about the candidates visit: www.charlestownresidentsunited.org #MeetTheCandidates #CRUCandidates #Charlestown" With thanks, Tim Quillen, Chair Charlestown Residents United Paid for by Charlestown Residents United P.O. Box 412 Charlestown, RI 02813 Visit our Website

On the agenda for tomorrow night...

Fellow Charlestown Residents, The Charlestown Town Council will have their first regular meeting of the month on Monday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The agenda can be read here. Some important topics for the meeting are: The Town Council is considering a change in the Ordinance establishing the Wastewater Management Commission, to allow the Commission to function with as few as three members. The Town Council will be discussing changes in the Ordinances relating to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), as required to conform with State law. Continuing a discussion at the July 22 Town Council meeting, the Council will discuss other potential Ordinance changes to conform with State law. Please note that primary election voting in the state will take place on Tuesday, September 10. There are primary contests for both the Republican and Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate. Information about the voting locations, times, and sample ballots can be viewed here. Read about the CRU-supported candidates for town offices here. Also read the platform positions of our candidates here. We hope to see you at the Town Council meeting. With Thanks, Tim Quillen, Chair Charlestown Residents United Paid for by Charlestown Residents United P.O. Box 412 Charlestown, RI 02813 Visit our Website

Victoria Gu’s ADU bill will help address housing crisis

Low-impact solution to affordable housing needs 

Before the bill was passed, Sen. Gu met with RISD
students who came up with ADU designs for Rhode Island

Legislation sponsored by House Commission on Housing Affordability Chairwoman June S. Speakman and Sen. Victoria Gu to help Rhode Islanders to develop accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property has been signed into law. The legislation is intended as a way to boost production of an affordable housing option.

ADUs, sometimes referred to as in-law apartments or granny flats, are accessories to existing housing, created as a conversion of part of a house (such as a walkout basement), an attachment to a house or a smaller, detached dwelling. 

Here is one of those designs (RISD)

They have become increasingly popular around the country in recent years as states and municipalities balance the need to create more housing while preserving the character of residential neighborhoods. Seniors, especially, have taken to ADUs as a way to downsize while continuing to live independently in their community.

The legislation (2024-H 7062A, 2024-S 2998A) was written in collaboration with stakeholders and advocates, including AARP, for which increasing production of ADUs has been a primary policy goal for several years.

The new law, which took effect immediately when Gov. Dan McKee signed it June 25, provides homeowners statewide the right to develop a single ADU on an owner-occupied property to accommodate a disabled family member, or within the existing footprint of their structures or on any lot larger than 20,000 square feet, provided that the ADU’s design satisfies building code, size limits and infrastructure requirements.

The measure is meant to encourage the development of rental units that are likely to be more affordable than many other apartments, and also to provide opportunities for homeowners with extra space to generate income that helps them maintain ownership of that property.

“One of the drivers of our housing crisis is the low construction rate in Rhode Island. Our state has the lowest per-capita construction rate in the whole country. We need to be creative and be willing to allow construction of housing, particularly affordable, moderate and small units like ADUs,” said Chairwoman Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol). 

“Our commission learned that there are many people in Rhode Island who already have space that they’d like to use in this way, but our laws make it complicated. This bill removes some of the obstacles to building ADUs while respecting municipal land use policies.”

Said Senator Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown), “ADUs offer the ‘missing middle:’ housing that is smaller, more affordable and smartly repurposes our existing buildings and garages. 

Final ADU development bill clears General Assembly

Legislation would help address housing crisis

One of several ADU designs by students at RISD

The General Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by House Commission on Housing Affordability Chairwoman June S. Speakman and Sen. Victoria Gu to boost housing production by helping Rhode Islanders to develop accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property. The bill now goes to the governor.

ADUs, sometimes referred to as in-law apartments or granny flats, are accessories to existing housing, created as a conversion of part of a house (such as a walkout basement), an attachment to a house or a smaller, detached dwelling. 

They have become increasingly popular around the country in recent years as states and municipalities balance the need to create more housing while preserving the character of residential neighborhoods. Seniors, especially, have taken to ADUs as a way to downsize while continuing to live independently in their community.

The legislation was written in collaboration with stakeholders and advocates, including AARP, for which increasing production of ADUs has been a primary policy goal for several years.

The bill (2024-H 7062A, 2024-S 2998A) would provide homeowners statewide the right to develop a single ADU on an owner-occupied property to accommodate a disabled family member, or within the existing footprint of their structures or on any lot larger than 20,000 square feet, provided that the ADU’s design satisfies building code, size limits and infrastructure requirements.

General Assembly likely to ignore accessory dwelling "compromise" written to appease the CCA

 General Assembly seems ready to pass "tiny house" legislation

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

After a two-year stalemate, Rhode Island lawmakers appear poised to pass legislation making it easier for property owners to build accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.

Amended companion bills advanced by the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government late Tuesday are nearly identical to the original proposal championed by House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, and already given the greenlight by the Rhode Island House in February. 

The Senate panel’s 5-2 vote returns the revised legislation to the full House of Representatives, and sends it to the full Senate for the first time. Floor votes in each chamber are expected on the final day of session on Thursday, June 13, though there may also be amendments made on the floor, as Sen. Roger Picard, a Woonsocket Democrat and committee chairman, told fellow lawmakers Tuesday.

Picard and Sen. Gordon Rogers, a Foster Republican, voted against advancing the amended legislation to the floor.

The only change from the original House bill: clarifying that the “by right” allowances to build ADUs in certain circumstances — including for family members with disabilities or for units built within an existing home rather than as add-ons or standalone structures —  are limited to one unit per lot.

“That was the intent of the bill all along,” Rep. June Speakman, a Warren Democrat and bill sponsor, said in an interview on Tuesday. “The idea was not that you would build a backyard full of them.”

State law already allows ADUs, either within or detached from a single family home. But vast and varied local zoning and building requirements have stifled their spread.

The House legislation, Shekarchi’s top legislative priority for two years running, aims to cut through the municipal red tape by preventing cities and towns from adding extra conditions around frontage and setbacks or infrastructure requirements beyond what is required by state law. 

Yet town planners and local officials have railed against a perceived loss of local control. Last year, the Rhode Island Senate punted a decision amid municipal outcry.

In March, Sen. Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat, offered a compromise version that appeared to appease even the harshest local critics. Unlike the House version, Gu’s bill gives extra powers to cities and towns to set owner occupancy and minimum lease length requirements for ADUs.

The American Planning Association’s Rhode Island chapter (APA RI) threw its weight behind Gu’s legislation, having helped to draft the bill text itself. But none of those protections were incorporated into the legislation advanced by the Senate committee.

Meanwhile, the compromise bill is still languishing in the same committee without a scheduled vote, much to the chagrin of local planners.

Jane Weidman 👉, Charlestown town planner and legislative subcommittee chair for the Rhode Island chapter of the American Planning Association, praised the compromise ADU bill introduced by Sen. Victoria Gu of Westerly as ‘an excellent example of how legislation should be crafted.’ But the extra powers the bill gives to cities are absent from the legislation advanced by the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government. (Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)

“It is quite unfortunate that a collaborative effort of many months with countless hours spent by many different advocates, often with competing positions, who came together for a strong ADU bill that will correct the shortcomings of the existing law, give communities the safeguards they specifically requested, and build in the flexibility to encourage communities to develop ADUs beyond those permitted by right, is not being considered,” Jane Weidman, Charlestown town planner and APA RI legislative subcommittee chair, wrote in a Monday email to lawmakers and shared with Rhode Island Current. 

“The Senate bill spearheaded by Senator Gu is an excellent example of how legislation should be crafted. It was an open and inclusive process, and the bill is so much better for it.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Actually, instead of being "an open and inclusive process," Gu's legislation was written by the planning lobby group to advance the interests of the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA). The CCA believes that Charlestown should be able to reject state laws on land use to suit its own undefined definition of "rural character." CCA founder and town Planning Commissar Ruth Platner has long opposed any practical approach to accessory dwelling units.    - Will Collette

Will time run out on bills for accessory dwelling units, open records reform and changing the CRMC?

Charlestown has a big stake in getting these three bills passed 

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Two of the three bills are sponsored by Charlestown's
Sen. Victoria Gu

Whoever coined the proverb “third time’s a charm,” probably didn’t have much direct experience in government.

Indeed, many of the top bills in play on Smith Hill are perennial problems, marked by years or even decades of failed attempts to solve complicated problems like the housing crunch, public records requirements and the state’s troubled coastal regulatory agency.

The 2024 legislative session features many such recurring hot topics, made even hotter as the clock ticks down till the end of the session, expected to be this week. 

Here’s a look at where three of the most pressing, unresolved issues stand as of June 7.

Accessory dwelling units 

While attempts to streamline the local zoning and permitting process for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) doesn’t have quite the storied history as other legislation in State House lore, it’s been the top priority for House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi for two years running. 

And while Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, has won overwhelming support from his House colleagues both years, the Senate has been reluctant to make moves, citing concern by municipal officials, including town planners. 

A compromise version intended to appease some of the harshest municipal critics was introduced by Sen. Victoria Gu, a Charlestown-Westerly Democrat, with an initial vetting on May 16. Yet Gu’s bill remains languishing in the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government as of June 7.

“It’s under negotiation,” Gu said in an interview Friday. “It’s an active topic.”

Greg Pare, a spokesperson for Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, offered a perfunctory response on June 4: “not this week.”

Shekarchi has also indicated he’s unwilling to reconcile his initial proposal, which already sailed through the House, with Gu’s version, which would be required at some point before the bill is signed into law.

However, a separate bill, also sponsored by Gu, that matches Shekarchi’s exact proposal is scheduled to be voted out of the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government Tuesday night.

Public records

EDITOR'S NOTE: Abuse of the law by the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) when they controlled town government makes this a high-stake issue for us. Often, the CCA had town pet town Administrator Mark Stankiewicz use the APRA to hide shady land deals.  - Will Collette

Advocates hoped the Interstate 195 Washington Bridge closure, and ensuing dossier of emails, text messages and videos released by public records requests, would shine a spotlight on the importance of strengthening the state’s Access to Public Records Act.

Yet the push to update the law that governs what state and local agencies have to hand over to interested members of the public — and for what cost — was derailed by the litany of objections raised by state agencies, including Gov. Dan McKee’s office.  

Also complicating the discussion is how the APRA legislation interacts with the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights (LEOBOR), specifically in conflict around whether policy body camera footage can be kept secret, or must be released when requested as a public record. Amendments to the LEOBOR bill approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly Thursday aimed to resolve that conflict, though concerns lingered among some open government groups.

John Marion, executive director for Common Cause Rhode Island, a key backer of the APRA legislation, said his hopes of passage were dwindling every day.

“So far, we haven’t been asked to throw anything overboard, which is probably one of the indicators that it is not going anywhere this year,” Marion said in an interview on June 4. “If they were going to pass it, they would have asked us what we would compromise on.”

Ever the optimist, Sen. Lou DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat and bill sponsor, maintained that the show wasn’t over, and that he was still discussing potential compromises with other lawmakers and legislative staff.

“It’s on a lifeline, yes, but it’s got a pulse,” DiPalma said in an interview on June 4.

CRMC reform

From allegations of backroom deals to a string of vacancies that have made it difficult to even hold meetings, the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council is awash in criticism. 

Companion bills by Sen. Victoria Gu and Rep. Terri Cortvriend, a Portsmouth Democrat, and backed by Attorney General Peter Neronha, tackle the most problematic piece, the 10-member, politically appointed council. The legislation abolishes the council and instead restructures the CRMC as an administrative agency similar to the Department of Environmental Management.

Hopes of passage came crashing down after the state budget office put a price tag on the change: $1.2 million to $2.9 million, according to a May 28 memo sent to lawmakers. The two-page memo explains that abolishing the council requires the agency to hire 15 more employees to take on the tasks previously overseen by the appointed council.

Shekarchi’s reaction? “Too expensive,” he told reporters on May 31, minutes before unveiling a revised $13.9 billion fiscal 2025 budget proposal that does not include any money for a CRMC overhaul.

But advocates for coastal reform insist the estimated price tag is inaccurate.

“The fiscal note is a red herring, intended to make sure the reform bill does not pass,” Topher Hamblett, executive director for Save the Bay, said in an interview on Thursday. 

The legislation specifically calls for one new employee, a staff attorney, the cost for which would be canceled out by eliminating the agency’s current practice of hiring an outside, private law firm to act as its legal counsel.

Hamblett remained hopeful that lawmakers would not be deterred by the eye-popping, and in his view overblown, sticker price and pass the legislation anyway.

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Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com. Follow Rhode Island Current on Facebook and Twitter.

Charlestown's Senator Victoria Gu comes up with compromise on accessory dwellings

Will Ruth Platner's proxy now go along?

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Victoria puts her back into helping So. County Habitat
build affordable housing on Legislator Volunteer
Day (photo by David DelPoio, Prov Journal)

Big opposition to tiny houses last year took down a legislative attempt to make it easier to build in-law apartments, or accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Now in the home stretch of the 2024 legislative session, a compromise has emerged. Even municipal naysayers backed the amended legislation introduced by Sen. Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat, during a May 16 State House hearing.

At first glance, Gu’s version of the ADU bill appears similar to one spearheaded by House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, which passed in the House earlier this year. But the tweaks to building and property size limits, alongside extra powers to cities and towns to set owner occupancy and minimum lease length requirements, have assuaged some of the harshest critics.

“Really, what we want to do is to keep as much local control as possible, giving municipalities the tools to expand ADUs based on their circumstances,” Jane Weidman, Charlestown town planner and chair of the American Planning Association Rhode Island chapter’s legislative subcommittee testified before the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Government on May 16 in support of Gu’s legislation.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Weidman was recruited to Charlestown by CCA leader and Planning Commissar Ruth Platner after Weidman was fired by Block Island. Weidman generally speaks only for Platner and not necessarily on behalf of Charlestown (in my opinion).  - Will Collette

Unlike the House version, which was put forth without input from town planners, Gu’s version sought their feedback well before a formal proposal was introduced, Weidman said. The effort began as soon as the 2023 legislative session ended, with monthly meetings among lawmakers, planners, housing advocates and other stakeholders.