The old mill buildings of the Olneyville and Valley neighborhoods in Providence were once the home to hundreds of artists. Back in the 1990s, space was cheap in the old mills and many artists were happy to live and work in these run-down post-industrial spaces. But starting in the early aughts, artists faced evictions as many of those buildings were torn down or converted to luxury loft apartments or condos. So what’s available now?
affordable housing
Posted inHousing, Local, South County Bureau
How large-lot zoning contributes to Rhode Island’s big housing shortfall
The corner of Gardiner and Ten Rod Roads in Exeter looks a lot like a place to take a hike. It’s wooded, quiet, and abuts 26 acres of densely grown trees. “It certainly would make a great nature preserve,” Colin Penney, executive director of South County Habitat for Humanity, said on a recent visit to […]
Posted inEn Español, Housing
¿Qué sabes sobre el alojamiento asequible en Rhode Island? Dinos.
The Public ‘s Radio quiere oír de ustedes sobre cómo están tratando acceder a alojamiento asequible. A medida que el estado de Rhode Island invierte millones de dólares en la construcción de miles de nuevos alojamientos asequibles, queremos entender qué sucede una vez que se construyen las unidades y las personas solicitan vivir en ellas. […]
Posted inStories
What do you know about affordable housing in Rhode Island? Tell us.
The Public’s Radio wants to hear from you about what it’s like to try and access affordable housing. As the state pours millions of dollars into constructing thousands of new affordable homes, we want to understand what happens once the units are built, and people apply to live in them. We created this short questionnaire […]
Posted inEducation, Housing, Local, Politics
Providence Mayor Smiley to education critics: we made ‘as much progress as we can afford to make this year’
TRANSCRIPT: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: All right, let’s get into education. I didn’t know this; I learned, it was about 25 years ago when a new consensus emerged on the need to improve Providence schools. And then, of course, five years ago, the state takes control of the […]
Posted inHealth, Housing, The Weekly Catch
An app for addiction treatment, Narragansett’s affordable housing problem, and more
Rhode Island has one of the nation’s highest rates of overdose deaths involving cocaine, a problem the state is trying to address with a new smartphone app. But is it reaching those most in need? Also, the town of Narragansett has one of the lowest percentages of affordable housing in the state. We hear about some steps taken earlier this week by the town council intended to address the housing shortfall. And RISD is celebrating its second Black Biennial. We’ll hear from the co-curator who is seeking to break down the walls between the institution and the surrounding community. Plus: the week in politics, and a few things to do this week.
Posted inHousing, Local, South County Bureau
Narragansett approves short-term rental restrictions, affordable housing bond
The town of Narragansett has adopted a new ordinance that has significant implications for property owners and summer vacation renters in the beach town. Under the new rules, property owners will be prohibited from renting out a unit for less than seven nights at a time. The rules were approved in a 3-1 vote, with […]
Posted inNPR
Housing experts say there just aren’t enough homes in the U.S.
The United States is millions of homes short of demand, and lacks enough affordable housing units. And many Americans feel like housing costs are eating up too much of their take-home pay.
Posted inNPR
Supreme Court appears to side with an Oregon city’s crackdown on homelessness
Lower courts ruled it’s “cruel and unusual” to fine or jail people on public land if no shelter is available. An Oregon city says that’s hamstrung efforts to keep public spaces safe and open to all.
Posted inHousing, Political Roundtable, Politics
RI Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor on local pushback, how long progress will take, and whether it should move faster
Rhode Island has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to produce more housing. But relatively little new construction has happened so far, and some cities and towns resist attempts to get them to welcome more residents. The median price of a single-family home in Rhode Island was $440,000 in February, an almost 15 percent increase from a year earlier. The high cost of housing leaves many people on the outside of home ownership, looking in, squeezing out those with less money. So what will it take for the state to make more progress, and how long? I’m Ian Donnis, and this week I’m going in-depth with Rhode Island Secretary of Housing Stefan Pryor.