Nearly nowhere is affordable – and Rhode Island trails the rest of the nation in building new housing.
Amy RussoThe Providence Journal
New data is out on Rhode Island's housing crisis. Spoiler alert: It's not getting much better.
On Friday, HousingWorksRI, a research hub at Roger Williams University, unveiled its annual fact book, offering a slew of stats on how the housing market played out in 2021.
While affordability remains limited, construction has barely increased. In 2021, there were 469,161 homes available, up from 468,171 the previous year – an increase of fewer than 1,000.
Building permits were similarly stagnant. In 2021, there were 1,495 permits for new housing, up from 1,420 the previous year – an increase of just 75.
Census data shows that in 2021, Rhode Island came last in its number of residential building permits, while states with similar-size populations, such as Delaware and Montana, saw 8,545 and 6,981 such permits, respectively.
Within New England, Rhode Island's lack of housing construction per capita has been an evident trend for years – one The Providence Journal has explored in depth.
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The paucity of new construction has been particularly apparent in multifamily homes.
According to HousingWorksRI Director Brenda Clement, the Department of Housing and Urban Development "has reported thatRhode Island is the only New England state where multifamily construction declined in each quarter year-over-year" from the fourth quarter of 2021 through the second quarter of this year.
“We must continue to work together across the state with all our municipalities to implement the framework that will enable a diversity of housing options for our residents – through infrastructure and revised land use regulations," Clement said.
HousingWorksRI measures affordability using the state's median household income. Anyone spending more than 30% of their income on housing is considered cost-burdened. According to HousingWorksRI's data, unless you make more than $70,000, there is not a single city or town in Rhode Island where you would find an affordable home. That income threshold has risen slightly from the previous year.
More data:Providence County, Rhode Island Real Estate Market Report
Pawtucket, Central Falls and Woonsocket ranked as the most affordable communities, though homeowners would need to earn upwards of $77,000 to live there comfortably. The least affordable communities were Block Island, Jamestown and East Greenwich, where owners would need to make from $180,000 to upwards of $300,000 to find affordable property.
Renters have it only slightly easier. Burrillville, Bristol and Woonsocket ranked as the most affordable areas. Renters there would need to make anywhere from $37,000 to $48,000 to be comfortable.
Least affordable for renters were Cumberland, Warren and East Providence, though there was insufficient data for many other areas that didn’t make the list.
Members of Rhode Island's congressional delegation who spoke at an event announcing the data's release warned of the dire situation. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse emphasized that "there's a lot more at stake than just housing," emphasizing housing's connection to issues such as recovery from addiction and re-entry into society after prison.
That last issue is long established. In 2015, the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard’s Kennedy School released a study of 122 formerly incarcerated men and women attempting to find housing in the Boston area.
“Securing stable housing consistently ranked among the biggest concerns for those just released from prison,” the study read. “Six months out of prison, 35% were staying in temporary or marginal housing, and this percentage grew to 43% by 12 months out of prison.”
In Rhode Island, some progress has been made when it comes to funding of affordable housing. Gov. Dan McKee, who also spoke at Friday's event, touted his administration's recent allocation of $250 million to affordable housing. But advocates for the homeless, who've protested at the State House, have argued that a more rapid fix is needed than waiting for construction. (According to the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, "there is an average wait of over one month for individuals and families seeking shelter.")
"I see it at the State House," said Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, referring to "individuals who have now set up shelter in tents in front of the State House."
“We have to act now," said Sen. Jack Reed, "because it’s getting worse, not better”
