Bill Sponsors
Representative John G. Edwards
Committee
House Municipal Government & Housing
Summary
Select
This legislation amends the state laws regarding low and moderate-income housing to place a specific requirement on the Rhode Island Housing Authority. The bill mandates that the Authority must formally verify and document the amount of affordable housing stock located specifically within the town of Tiverton. This verification process is required to take place twice every year. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Increases accountability by ensuring accurate, state-verified data regarding the availability of affordable housing in Tiverton, preventing local obfuscation of housing numbers.
- Provides housing advocates and policymakers with reliable, up-to-date statistics to support efforts to enforce state mandates for low-income housing quotas.
- Strengthens state-level oversight of municipal housing inventories, ensuring that the needs of low-income residents are being monitored rather than ignored by local officials.
Cons for Progressives
- Fails to mandate the actual construction of new affordable housing units, limiting the legislation to administrative observation rather than material improvement for the poor.
- Targets only one specific town rather than establishing a comprehensive, statewide verification system, potentially ignoring housing inequities in other wealthy municipalities.
- Uses administrative resources for repetitive counting and paperwork that could otherwise be directed toward funding housing assistance or social services.
Pros for Conservatives
- Promotes transparency and factual accuracy in government reporting, ensuring that policy decisions regarding the town are based on verified data rather than assumptions.
- Ensures that the town of Tiverton is accurately credited for its existing housing stock, potentially protecting the municipality from unwarranted criticism or legal action based on incorrect data.
- Utilizes an existing state authority to perform the verification, avoiding the creation of new government agencies or significant new spending programs.
Cons for Conservatives
- Represents state government overreach into local municipal affairs, undermining the principle of local control and home rule for the town of Tiverton.
- Creates unnecessary bureaucratic red tape by mandating a specific, repetitive administrative task twice a year, which may be a waste of taxpayer resources.
- Singles out a specific community for state scrutiny, setting a negative precedent for the legislature to target individual towns with unique mandates.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Tiverton residents
- Rhode Island Housing Authority
- Low-income renters
- Property developers
- Town planners
Towns Affected
Tiverton
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/15/2026 Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government & Housing
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Chapter 45-53 of the General Laws entitled "Low and Moderate Income Housing" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
45-53-17. Affordable housing stock in Tiverton.
The Rhode Island housing authority shall verify and document the count of affordable housing stock in the town of Tiverton two (2) times per year.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
45-53-17. Affordable housing stock in Tiverton.
The Rhode Island housing authority shall verify and document the count of affordable housing stock in the town of Tiverton two (2) times per year.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.