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East Providence to meet state affordable-housing goal with Sutton Place project

Be Safe Plus Program for Seniors

Five Questions With: Bob DaSilva, November 2019

The Sabin Point project is among 16 environmental initiatives around the state receiving funds through Rhode Island’s $4.1-million share of the VW settlement.

Rhode Island’s Democratic elected leaders, many of whom opposed the $1.5-trillion tax-cut bill passed by congressional Republicans earlier this year, are hoping a program within it will help jump-start the Blackstone Valley economy. With no discussion, the state House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution designating “the Blackstone River Corridor Municipalities of Providence, Woonsocket, East Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls as Qualified Opportunity Zones” under the new tax law.

House sales increased in Rhode Island for the fifth consecutive year in 2017, creating a “hot” market despite falling inventory, according to the Rhode Island Association of Realtors.

A developer would prefer to pay a fee of nearly $1 million to the city instead of setting aside 10 percent of the 228 apartments to be built at Kettle Point as “affordable” units.

Woonsocket and East Providence will receive nearly $2.4 million in federal grants to help revitalize local neighborhoods and increase affordable housing. The grants were announced on Sunday by Rhode Island's U.S. senators, Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse.