Rhode Islanders are collectively voicing their concerns about the high cost of housing.
A new survey by the housing advocacy group Neighbors Welcome! RI shows that 57% of respondents think the ongoing housing crisis is the biggest issue facing the state.
“We’ve got a pretty big hole to dig ourselves out of,” said Claudia Wack, president of Neighbors Welcome! RI.
The survey includes some sobering findings.
According to Neighbors Welcome! RI, 78% of respondents said there are not enough homes to rent or buy in their communities that average people can afford. In addition, 88% of respondents think state lawmakers should take action to address the housing shortage and the cost of housing.
“Voters are very supportive of the state and their elected officials prioritizing building more homes, even if that means there are potentially some tradeoffs,” Wack said.
Many Rhode Island lawmakers, including House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, have been reluctant to support legislation that would give the state more power over cities and towns when it comes to approving affordable housing projects. But Wack says the General Assembly may be forced to reconsider that approach.
“At the end of the day, the situation is so difficult on the ground for people that, ultimately, voters want results,” Wack said. “They want to prioritize getting those new homes built over other potential considerations.”
Wack says the vast majority of survey respondents support her group’s legislative housing proposals, including allowing more homes to be built in commercial districts (87%), allowing single-family homes on smaller lots (81%), and streamlining the housing permitting process (76%).
