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Rhode Island: Pure Data
2000 US Census Data for RI Cities and Towns
Latest population counts by age, sex, race and ethnicity; income, educational attainment, place of birth, immigration, language, and household and family status. Also shows trends over the decades in population growth, school populations, and people over 65. Broken down by municipality. Download PDF*; for Census 2000 fact sheet on any ZIP Code, click here.
2005 Low and Moderate Income Housing Chart
How close is your town to the 10% goal? Find out here. Table shows the number of low- and moderate-income units in each community, and their percentage of the total residential units. Break downs for families, seniors, and those with special needs. From Rhode Island Housing. Click here for PDF*
Affordable Housing for Rhode Island: Goals for Cities, Towns and Regions
Issued in 2004, this impressive planning study estimates the need for affordable housing in each municipality. Among the interesting exhibits: a table that shows which towns certain occupations can no longer afford. Another table shows how the 20 most prevalent occupations in Rhode Island are now mostly priced out of the real estate market. Conclusion: Decent homes for many occupations (especially the lower-paying positions that make up the bulk of new jobs) are utterly out-of-reach. Commissioned by the Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation and the Housing Network of RI. Download PDF*; look under "Research and Reports" at www.rihousing.com
Cost of Rent in Rhode Island's Cities and Towns
Latest available data on the average rent of a two-bedroom apartment in each municipality. ALSO: calculates percentage of income that poor families have to spend on rent to live in a decent home. Compiled by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT (key source: Rhode Island Housing) and updated annually in the RI KIDS COUNT Factbook, a standard reference for policymakers. Download PDF*; www.rikidscount.org
Housing Price Index (HPI) by State
Amazing but true: Between 1980 and 2005, RI house prices rose faster than California's. The oft-quoted federal Housing Price Index (HPI) tracks the rise in the cost of single-family homes. Updated quarterly, based on mortgage information. Download PDF*; www.ofheo.gov
HUD Income Limits for RI
How much can different-size households earn and still qualify for federally subsidized housing? For 2006. Download PDF*; look under "Research and Reports" at www.rihousing.com
Median and Average Price per Square Foot of Floor Area in New One-Family Houses Sold by Location
Welcome to the extremely expensive Northeast. Table shows the annual increase in construction costs (excluding land) from 1992-2004 in four regions of the US. Download PDF*; www.nahb.org
RI House Permits, 1986-2005
From the US Census: yearly reports on the number of permits authorized for privately-owned homes and condominiums in RI. An indicator of building activity. Download PDF*; link to website.
RI Housing Affordability by Community 2005 (aka "10% Chart")
Shows, by city and town, by individuals and families, percentages of "existing assisted housing" (i.e., housing that is subsidized by some form of government money and will remain deed restricted for at least 30 years). Updated 3/06 by Rhode Island Housing, as part of their Developers Handbook (see section 9). Download PDF*; part of the "Developers Handbook."
Rhode Island Housing Year-End Rent Survey 2005
Table shows the cost of renting an unfurnished apartment, studio up to three-bedroom, by city and town. Gathered from newspaper ads. Download PDF*.
RI Per Pupil Expenditure and Tax Rate by Municipality, 2004
From the state Department of Education. Download PDF*; link to website.
RI Population Projections, 2000-2030
Where we discover that school populations are in steep decline in the state, but elderly populations are due to rise quickly. Projections for every city and town. Prepared by RI's Statewide Planning Program. Download PDF*; www.planning.ri.gov
RI Wage Data 2004
Estimated numbers employed and what they're paid in various occupations and industries. From the state Department of Labor and Training. Download PDF*; www.dlt.ri.gov
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Rhode Island: Other Housing Information and Tools
2005 Quality of Place Scorecard released by the RI Economic Policy Council
RI rates a "red flag" in three out of six measures of good "quality of place," including housing affordability. Nighttime satellite photographs of southern New England and other aerial shots reveal the region's creeping and unplanned sprawl, another serious threat to quality of place. Download PDF*; www.planning.ri.gov
2006 Qualified Allocation Plan
For developers looking into the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program: A detailed description of the program including application process, ranking method and review criteria. Download PDF*; part of the "Developers Handbook"; look under "Developing Affordable Housing" at www.rihousing.com
A Brief History of Rhode Island's Low and Moderate Income Housing Act
Excerpted from the Grow Smart Rhode Island’s Candidates’ Briefing Book, October 2004. Download PDF*; www.growsmartri.com
City & Town Affordable Housing Plans
Locally-driven strategies for at least 29 of Rhode Island's cities and towns, in response to the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. http://www.planning.ri.gov/housing/plans.htm
CFED 2006 Development Report Card for Rhode Island
Ranks Rhode Island on 28 measures of economic health and livability. Download PDF*
The Economic Impact of the Housing Crisis on Businesses in Rhode Island
Released in March 2004, this alarming report predicts that the state's severe shortage of affordable housing "will have a slow, steady negative impact on Rhode Island's business community…." Commissioned by then-Fleet Bank and co-released with the RI Public Expenditure Council, the report looks in detail at the chilling fundamentals: the low yield rates from buildable land, inadequate permitting relative to population growth, scarcity of rental units in RI (half the national average). Download PDF*; go to "Cities, Towns & Urban Policy" area at www.ripec.com
The Geography of Housing Opportunity in Rhode Island
A current assessment of the extraordinary depth of the affordable housing crisis in RI, its root cause, and solutions AND The need to balance the necessary role of the private sector in affordable housing with preservation of other important local planning and land use prerogatives. (The full title.) Written by attorney William R. Landry, a partner in Providence law firm Blish & Cavanagh LLP. Opens provocatively with three quick household bios and asks what they have in common: "They have virtually no chance of being able to purchase a new or existing home in 32 of the 39 municipalities in RI." The paper is pro-affordable housing, but sticks up for communities rejecting developments that don't fit. Archived at the RI Builders Association website. Download PDF*; www.ribuilders.org/Library/library.html
Handbook of the Local Comprehensive Plan, for the RI Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act
Issued by the State Planning Council and last updated in 2003, this handbook introduces municipalities to their state-mandated planning obligation. The discussion of affordable housing (and the state's requirement that 10 percent of housing meet "affordable" criteria) begins on page 48. Download PDF*; www.planning.ri.gov
Handbook on Developing Inclusionary Zoning, written for municipalities by the RI Statewide Planning Program
"It is intended to assist municipalities in developing actions for compliance with the Comprehensive Housing Production and Rehabilitation Act of 2004 (R.I. Gen. Law 42-128.8.1)." That law requires RI cities and towns to "remove barriers to housing development" that make new affordable housing unlikely or uneconomic. Includes a discussion of inclusionary options (the "density bonus" and other incentives for developers); case studies from RI, MA and MD; and guidance on writing inclusionary zoning provisions. Download PDF*; www.planning.ri.gov
Land Use 2025
State's strategies for land use, conservation, and development. http://www.planning.ri.gov/landuse/policies.htm
Model Affordable Housing Plan
The hypothetical town of "Rhodeville" writes a plan to add affordable housing, a plan that will win approval and meet the state's 10% target. Drafted by RI Housing in cooperation with the RI Statewide Planning Program to help guide municipalities through the planning and writing process. Download PDF*; look under "Research and Reports" at www.rihousing.com
Policy Statement on Addressing RI's Affordable Housing Needs
Issued June 2004 by the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association. This excerpt includes specific recommendations for getting more homes built and compiles the best ideas from many sides. Download PDF*; www.riapa.org
Rhode Island Five Year Strategic Housing Plan: 2006-2010
An analysis of Rhode Island's housing needs, a projected preservation and production timeline, and an Action Plan for creating 5,000 units in 5 years. http://www.planning.ri.gov/housing/shp06.pdf
Rhode Island Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credit: Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis
In short, this tax credit, introduced in 2002, works, producing a net gain for the state in several ways. It stimulates affordable housing, too. Of 1,699 new residential units built in projects employing this tax credit, 409 were low-income rentals. The study was released in March 2005 by Grow Smart Rhode Island. Download PDF*; www.growsmartri.com
Rhode Island Housing Resource Guide
A complete list, with contact information, of every organization in the state that has anything to do with housing. Included: advocacy organizations, domestic violence shelters, elderly and assisted living, homebuyer education, supportive housing, town and state offices, etc. Compiled by the Statewide Housing Action Coalition. Download PDF*; www.shac-ri.org/housing_resources.htm
What Municipalities Need to Know About the 2004 Rhode Island Housing Act and Affordable Housing Plans
A convenient briefing on the act's main areas. Covers local affordable housing plans, comprehensive permitting procedures, for-profit applications affected by moratorium, and the state strategic plan for housing production. A PowerPoint presentation converted to a PDF file. Download PDF*
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Educating People about Affordable Homes: Information and Tools
Addressing Community Opposition to Affordable Housing Development
A Fair Housing Toolkit, written by the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania. Written expressly for developers. "It gives common-sense, hands-on tools to deal with public hearings, building community support, using the media, working with officials, and if need be moving to legal action." Chapters include: Confronting common NIMBY concerns, exploding zoning and land use myths, launching a successful community campaign, etc. Download PDF*; www.housingalliancepa.org
Children and Homelessness
Published by Housing Minnesota. A brief booklet. Includes the "5 most common reasons homeless parents left their last housing." Also reviews the research regarding the negative consequences that homelessness and frequent moves have on child development: poor health, low school achievements, and less likelihood of adult success. Download PDF*; www.housingminnesota.org
Dispelling Myths about Affordable Housing in the Upper Valley
This brief, plain-language brochure answers common fears re: affordable housing with up-to-date information and good research. Produced by the Upper Valley Housing Coalition in White River Junction, VT. Download PDF*; www.uvhc.org
Examples of materials and outreach strategies used in housing education campaigns
Checklists of tactics used in the San Francisco Bay Area to reach out to the media, government and the public. Download PDF*; www.nonprofithousing.org
How to Organize Successful Affordable Housing Tours
"Sometimes, seeing is believing. Introducing people to affordable housing 'up close and personal' neutralizes many opponents…. Stereotypes are challenged, burning concerns are quenched, and minds are opened." A no-nonsense checklist to help you do your tour right the first time. Download PDF*; www.nonprofithousing.org
Housing Must Work for All of Us
Worried about the future health of the state's economy, presidents and CEOs of seven top banks operating in Rhode Island signed this letter in support of the 2005 HousingWorks RI legislative platform (and publicly joined the campaign for more affordable housing). Published in the Providence Journal on June 14, 2005. Download PDF*
Myths and Facts about Affordable and High Density Housing
A thorough and balanced look at the major issues: worries about high density housing, concerns about lowered property values, misperceptions about what kind of community a sufficient supply of affordable housing builds. Includes four case studies of places where high-density housing is a valuable community asset. With photos and a good list of other resources. Report published by the California Planning Roundtable and the CA Dept. of Housing and Community Development. Updated 2002. Download PDF*; www.cproundtable.org
A Plan: Not a Dream - How to End Homelessness in Ten Years
A well-documented blueprint for policymakers. From the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Download PDF*; www.endhomelessness.org
Something's Gotta Give: Working Families and the Cost of Housing
Most newly created jobs in the years to come will not be high-paying, research shows This study reveals the wicked side effects when skyrocketing real estate values leave the vast majority of workers without the means to have a decent home, as has happened in Rhode Island. Copyright 2005 by the Center for Housing Policy. Download PDF*; www.nhc.org
Speakers Bureau Do's and Don'ts
For affordable housing advocates. Helps speakers avoid common pitfalls and dead ends. "DON'T claim that every affordable housing development is well-designed, professionally managed, contributes to the neighborhood, and works perfectly." "DO acknowledge that the affordable housing movement has learned many lessons over the past decade, including on the importance of good design and quality management." From the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. Download PDF*; www.nonprofithousing.org
Talking in Public About Growth and Development
How language and values frame the discussion of affordable housing. This paper is frank and to the point. It's all about the "do's" and "don'ts." "DO talk about choices. DO NOT talk about NIMBYs." Download PDF*; www.lgc.org
Telling Our Story: Marketing Affordable Housing
Ten expert articles about promoting affordable housing. A must-read overview of the latest research into messaging and overcoming objections. Published by Rural Voices, the magazine of the Housing Assistance Council. Download PDF*; www.ruralhome.org
Who Needs Affordable Housing? What is "Low Income" and "Very Low Income"? Knock, knock: Who's in there?
A two-page look at the occupations of people who actually live in affordable rentals: mainly low-income wage earners (firefighters, truck drivers) and very low income (nurse's aides, accounting clerks). Other occupations resident in a San Jose affordable housing complex include cashier, welder, car mechanic. From the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. Download PDF*; www.nonprofithousing.org
"Why Not In Our Community?": Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing
A 2005 richly researched update re: regulatory barriers to affordable housing. Some startling findings: excessive regulation adds tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of homes. "Removing affordable housing barriers could reduce development costs by up to 35%." Gives good direction to reducing regulatory barriers. This updates a landmark 1991 study that established the term "NIMBY." From the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Download PDF*; www.huduser.org
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Getting Affordable Homes Built: Cases from Other Places
Cleveland's Land Bank: Catalyzing a Renaissance in Affordable Housing
From Fannie Mae Foundation's Housing Facts & Findings newsletter. "Cleveland was one of the first cities to utilize a land bank for returning tax-delinquent properties to productive use…. About 90 percent of new residential construction—both CDC and private—involves land bank lots. In some of Cleveland's previously most distressed neighborhoods…the land bank is responsible for 'a remarkable renaissance.'" Download PDF*; www.fanniemaefoundation.org
Coalition Review Process for Housing Proposals
Up in VT and NH, near Dartmouth College, housing advocates have found a way to dramatically speed up the permitting process: by having volunteer experts evaluate housing proposals before they go to the planning board. The review is free and confidential, and towns like it. Some now strongly suggest developers have their proposals reviewed in advance, as an endorsement of quality. Download PDF*; www.uvhc.org
From NIMBY to Good Neighbors: Recent Studies Reinforce that Apartments are Good for the Community
This 2003 white paper briskly summarizes existing research re: the impact (which turned out to be either positive or neutral) on surrounding property values of adding below-market-value apartments to the real estate mix. Also summarizes research on public perceptions and the importance of good design when building affordable rentals. From the National Multi Housing Council, a rich source of information and research regarding apartments. Download PDF*; www.nmhc.org
Making the Case for Mixed Income and Mixed Use Communities: An Executive Summary
Atlanta's nationally admired (but largely unplanned) growth since WWII has brought its share of problems, including sprawl and a housing affordability crisis for its labor force. This report makes a compelling case for so-called "choice" communities, places where incomes mix in pleasant, convenient neighborhoods. "In a successful 'choice' community, both an executive and his seventh-grade daughter’s teacher would be able to live and shop in the same district, while the child herself could ride her bike to see her grandmother or the brother who recently graduated from college." Download PDF*; www.smartgrowthamerica.org
Neighborhood-Scale Planning Tools to Create Active, Livable Communities
The walkable, bikeable urban village is back! It's healthier (more exercise), more convenient, it conserves land (reusing wasted areas). Fact sheet is packed with checklists, cases and resources. Available from the Local Government Commission. Download PDF*; www.lgc.org
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