House Passes Two Bills from Speaker Shekarchi’s Housing Legislation Package
The House of Representatives today approved two pieces of legislation from Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s seven-bill housing package.
“I am thrilled that my colleagues recognize the urgency of Rhode Island’s housing crisis. The legislation passed tonight is a big step forward in our housing push,” said Speaker Shekarchi. “We know that we need more housing, but we need to create it in a way that is sustainable, equitable and efficient. The creation of these two commissions will enable us as legislators to hear directly from experts on housing while giving our communities more opportunities for input.”
2021-H 5950, sponsored by Speaker Shekarchi, creates a legislative commission to study all aspects of land use, preservation, development, production, regulation, zoning, housing and the environment. The commission would make recommendations to enable the state to ensure and promote land use that allows for sustainable and equitable economic growth in support of efforts to achieve the state’s affordable housing goals.
2021-H 5953 SUB A, sponsored by Rep. June S. Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol) creates a special legislative commission to study the Rhode Island Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. A similar commission led by former Rep. Shelby Maldonado was created in 2016, and made numerous recommendations, one of which was to continue studying ways to meet the state’s affordable housing challenges.
“I have been advocating for the creation of a dedicated, consistent funding stream for housing in Rhode Island’s state budget,” said Rep. June Speakman. “But it is equally important that we work with communities and developers to put our ideas into practice. This commission will help us identify barriers to and opportunities for creating more housing.”
An additional piece of legislation from the housing package, also known as the “source of income” bill, has already been passed by the House and is now before the Senate Committee on Judiciary. Sponsored by House Labor Committee Chairwoman Anastasia P. Williams (D-Dist. 9, Providence), H 5257 would prohibit housing discrimination against those who receive government assistance to pay their rent. A 2019 study by Southcoast Fair Housing found that although Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) recipients can afford more than one-third of listed apartments in Rhode Island, they are ultimately rejected from 93 percent. Over 9,300 households in Rhode Island rely on HCV to afford housing.