Shekarchi releases fourth housing bill package

PROVIDENCE – House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi announced on Thursday his fourth housing legislation package, a collection of 15 bills that focus on land use and zoning to lower barriers to more housing production.

“People ask me, ‘Why do you keep introducing housing legislation?’ The House has already passed, over the last three years, more than 30 bills,” Shekarchi said at a press conference on Thursday. “Well, my answer is: Look around. Have we solved the problem? No, not even close.”

This year’s package remains budget-neutral and does not issue any new demands or requirements on cities and towns. The package was informed by the Special Legislative Commission to Study the Entire Area of Land Use, chaired by Thomas Deller, who is also Johnston’s town planner, and the Special Legislative Commission to Affordable Housing, chaired by Rep. June Speakman (D-Warren).

“These bills continue our efforts to make the approval process more effective, zoning more flexible, and to get the best use of our existing buildings,” Speakman said. “Those efforts will pay off as we produce more safe, comfortable, affordable homes for Rhode Islanders.”

Some of the bills make clarifications or tweaks to last year’s housing package laws based on feedback from stakeholders such as city planners, House and Senate commissions and housing advocates. For example, one bill changes the requirements for last year’s inclusionary zoning law for affordable housing, bringing the percentage of affordable units down to 15% from 25%.

At the top of the list is a bill expanding the permitted development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which are sometimes referred to granny flats or in-law apartments. Speakman sponsored the same bill last year, which was the only bill in

Shekarchi’s 14-bill 2023 housing package that did not pass after it died in the Senate.

Speakman’s bill allows homeowners to build an ADU for a disabled family member, on a lot that’s at least 20,000 square-feet or within the existing footprint of a structure (such as transforming a garage). The bill also bans ADUs from being listed as shortterm rentals on platforms like Airbnb.

The ADU bill has already passed the House this year, and Sen. Victoria Gu (D-Westerly) has again sponsored similar legislation in the Senate.

AARP Rhode Island has made ADUs one of their legislative priorities this year, promoting them as a way for seniors to “age in community.”

“We must reframe how we think about housing as we grow older, and ADUs are part of the equation,” said Catherine Taylor, AARP Rhode Island state director, in a statement. “Our cities and towns must have housing options that are suitable for different incomes, ages and life stages. ADUs are an important way to accomplish this goal.”

Shekarchi’s package also includes a bill that would allow manufactured homes constructed according to federal regulations to be built in single-family zones. Manufactured homes are prefabricated off-site then installed on a lot, usually for less cost than traditional construction.

“It gives people an option – a lower cost option – for new home construction,” Shekarchi said.

Another bill sets up a commission to study the feasibility of creating certificate and/or degree programs for planners with the goal of creating a job pipeline and bolstering the planning workforce in the state. The commission would include representation from all of the state colleges and industry leaders.

“We need the next generation of planners to step up, and I want to make sure they’re trained and ready to step up,” Shekarchi said.

Shekarchi also made a point to highlight some housing legislation that has been introduced this session but is not included in his package, such as a rent subsidy bill from Rep. David Morales (D-Providence) and a bill from Rep. Jacquelyn Baginski (D-Cranston) that would proactively ban artificial intelligence programs from determining rental policy.

Morales’s bill is one that the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness is particularly supportive of, said Margaux Morisseau, the coalition’s deputy director. Specifically, the bill establishes a one-year pilot for a program that uses tax rebates as an incentive for landlords to offer reduced rents to eligible tenants. Though it comes at a price of $3 million in the state budget, Morisseau said Morales’s bill addresses the state’s immediate housing needs, whereas Shekarchi’s package takes a longterm approach.

“I am very grateful that the Speaker continues to put together a housing package,” she said, but described the package as “cautious” since it doesn’t put much pressure on municipalities or the state to build more housing.

In addition to Morales’s bill, the coalition is supporting a handful of other bills that were not included in the package. One, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Steward (D-Pawtucket), strengthens enforcement of the Homeless Bill of Rights, which Morisseau said is “not being followed” as written. The bill adds a fine for noncompliance with the law, requires police departments to develop written policies that align with the law and adds new rules for addressing encampments.

The coalition is also supporting a second attempt at passing the fair notice bill, also sponsored by Stewart, that requires landlords to give notice of a rent increase at least 90 days before it goes into effect. An amended version of the bill last year passed the House but died in committee in the Senate.

“You’re always hoping your bills end up in the Speaker’s package because they’ll have more momentum,” Morisseau said.

The coalition is also supporting Gov. Daniel McKee’s proposed $100 million bond, which the General Assembly needs to approve before it goes to voters in November. The bond is widely supported by housing advocates, though many, including the coalition and the Housing Network of Rhode Island, are also calling for the amount to be increased to $150 million to catch the state up to its neighbors in New England.

“It is no secret that our state is in an affordable housing crisis, and that low – and moderate-income households are most adversely impacted by rising costs and low supply,” said Housing Network of Rhode Island Executive Director Melina Lodge in a statement to The Call & Times. “Under the Speaker’s leadership, we’ve made strides in recent years to address these challenges, and this package of housing bills – coupled with a historic bond proposal – are a continuation of the progress we need to make as a state to ultimately ensure every Rhode Islander has a safe and affordable place to call home.”