What is State and Town doing to expedite Affordable Housing? We asked June Speakman……

Last night the Middletown Democratic Town Committee was privileged to have Rep, June Speakman, the Chair of the Rhode Island Low and Moderate Income Housing Commission speak to us about some of the preliminary ideas that have been discussed and the committee progress to date. The commission is studying barriers to affordable housing and is looking for ways to help towns meet their legal obligations to have at least 10% of housing stock qualified as “affordable”. Currently, Middletown is woefully below that level at only 5.4% and is in dire need of increasing the units available. Middletown needs 687 units to meet the 10% number and currently has  only 371 Units. There are currently 117 low income units in the pipeline, but still close to 200 more are needed.

Middletown also has close to 150 students who are homeless right now… one of the highest numbers in the state,

The problem is not just in Middletown, the new commission estimates that Rhode Island can easily absorb 27,000 units to meet the needs of our families. Governor McKee has included $250 million in his 2023 budget for housing and it is considered to be a top priority on Smith Hill. How the money will be spent and how fast is unclear and still needs to be vetted by the general assembly.

So what are the obstacles to providing more housing to meet these needs?

According to Speakman; Across the state, municipal zoning and neighborhood resistance has impeded getting shovels in the ground to build the needed units.There is no longer federal funding of housing complexes built and managed by a Federal agency. It is now up to private (for profit) developers to design and build housing stock. They must first go through a rigorous permitting and planning process controlled by local planning Boards and Town Councils. 

Anyone who attended the special town council zoom meeting last fall to discuss the Berkley Peckham School proposal for senior housing will certainly remember objections/fears of neighbors of “low income drug addicts in wheelchairs” populating such a development. While there are these fears and misconceptions of what affordable housing can look like, Rep. Speakman spoke about two specific projects in Barrington that were built years ago Sweet Briar and Barrington Cove, which are not only beautiful and well integrated into the community, but have provided residents the opportunity to age in place in their home town. Rents at Barrington Cove are $1013 for a one-bedroom and $1208 for a two-bedroom. They also provide “generational diversity” so that young families, police officers, teachers and  lower wage workers can also afford to live in the community they work in. The newest Barrington development,   Palmer Pointe  consists of 46 units located on the Palmer River and is well integrated into the community. 

Statewide, the commission is looking at how housing is regulated and supported by the state. Currently there is the Rhode Island Housing authority, a quasi-government entity that is essentially the “bank” for projects, the Office of Housing and Community Development, which housed under the Commerce department, the office of Statewide Planning which is housed under the Department of Administration and Health and Human Services which oversees the social welfare of state residents. A Deputy Secretary of Commerce for Housing was recently hired by Governor McKee. Should these four agencies be pulled together and a Department of Housing established? Could a statewide agency with strong leadership help local communities to build generational  diversity and help local towns meet the growing demand for housing? These are some ideas being floated. 

The Commission has yet to hear from the builders Association members and has extended its term due to the complexity of this issue. This legislative session should see some work to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) or “granny flats built not only for immediate family members but as rental units (terms of at least one year). (This is something the town of Middletown could also do on its own.) They are looking for ways to take some of the heat off of municipalities to get projects shovel ready.

While the state is working to assist communities to increase their housing stock, there is slow progress for the Affordable Housing Committee here in town. The group is researching the viability of several town-owned properties and forwarded their suggestion to move forward to explore using 26 Oliphant Lane, 650 Greenend Avenue and Linden Park. The Council voted against pursuing Linden park at its last meeting due to neighbor’s objections. Will these other properties come to the same fate as neighborhood pressure pushes the Council to abandon yet another town project? 

There are many examples of affordable housing projects that have been successful in their communities, Aquidneck Island needs housing for seasonal workers, young families and seniors. The Newport Chamber of Commerce has even commissioned a study to determine what can be done to help businesses on the island Newport County Chamber of Commerce- Housing Needs . 

The Middletown Democratic town Committee is focussed and committed to help our seniors and families stay together and thrive here.