May 16, 2005
State House hearings a success -- HousingWorks Policy Platform gains momentum
Over one hundred HousingWorks members voiced their support of the HousingWorks Policy Platform before the House and Senate Finance Committees last week. The testimony on behalf of the Platform presented a strong and unified front. Said one woman, “I am here today because of the supportive housing program funded through the Neighborhood Opportunities Program. It was available to me when I was in need, and my hope is that it will continue to be there for others.”
“The significant number of towns who have come forward in support of the Neighborhood Opportunities Program, along with the support at the state level, is extremely encouraging,” said Anthony Maione, President and CEO, United Way of Rhode Island. “We are gaining momentum and it is vitally important to keep building on this positive surge of support.”
Providence Journal endorses HousingWorks Policy Platform --
Commits to take year-long look into affordable housing crisis in South County
An editorial in Friday’s Providence Journal (“More roofs for Ocean State”), highlights the seriousness of the affordable housing crisis in Rhode Island and cites the HousingWorks’ Policy Platform as a program that “would substantially advance the effort to boost the state’s social and economic health.”
In related news, The Providence Journal's South County bureau began a year-long look at the county's affordable housing crisis. Throughout the coming year, articles will appear exploring the causes of the affordable housing crisis, the human impact, and steps that are being taken to address the issue.
MIT study shows home values not adversely affected by mixed-income housing projects
A recent study by the Center for Real Estate at MIT finds mixed-income housing developments have no negative impact on home values in the communities where they are built. The study, “Effects of Mixed-Income, Multi-Family Rental Housing Developments on Single-Family Housing Values,” looks at average annual changes in house prices near mixed-income housing developments and compares them with price changes in the rest of the city or town over various time periods.
