Our Framework & Policy Priorities
The Housing Opportunities Framework
The Housing Opportunities Framework is an action plan to increase the supply of safe, healthy and affordable homes throughout Rhode Island. View a breakdown of the action plan below, or you can read the full framework at the following resource.
Action #1: Increase Engagement
Increase community engagement and motivate the public and policymakers to drive change that will result in increased investments in affordable homes for Rhode Islanders.
- Increase our collective understanding of the positive impact of safe, healthy and affordable homes.
- Build a diverse network to mobilize constituents in support of safe, healthy and affordable homes.
- Coordinate messaging among cross-sector partners.
Action #2: Increase Investments
Increase investments to construct and preserve long-term affordable homes in Rhode Island. Support the production and preservation of long-term affordable homes:
- Create a sustainable annual funding stream in the state budget to build and preserve long-term affordable homes.
- Strengthen nonprofit and public housing providers.
- Build capacity at the municipal and state levels to support production and preservation of long-term affordable homes.
- Curate a toolbox of finance strategies for production and preservation of long-term affordable homes.
Action #3: Reduce Barriers
Reduce regulatory and economic barriers to residential development to incentivize the construction, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable homes.
- Create a coordinated system of responsive land-use and building laws.
- Assess ways to reduce and increase transparency of development costs.
- Improve and streamline the affordable development finance process.
Action #4: Promote Healthy Homes
Promote and implement policies and interventions that equitably expand access to healthy, affordable, sustainable homes.
- Cities and towns prioritize healthy home policies.
- Support regulations that promote healthy homes.
- Cross-train professionals in healthy home assessments, interventions, and fair housing.
- Streamline existing healthy home interventions.
Homes RI Policy Priorities
We support increased state funding for:
- Construction and preservation of safe, healthy and affordable homes.
- Rental subsidies for low and very low-income households.
- Necessary services for people placed in permanent housing to support their health and wellbeing.
We also support:
- Removing legal, administrative, regulatory, and economic barriers to quality housing. These include, but are not limited to, ending housing discrimination based on tenant’s source of income or eviction history, housing stabilization supports to prevent eviction and homelessness, and improving local and state processes to support housing development.