Save the Housing Bond, Say Yes to Invest in Affordable Housing!

Time is running out. If the General Assembly doesn't vote to put the Housing Bond on the ballot, Rhode Islanders won't be able to vote to increase the availability of affordable homes and support community revitalization. Rhode Island voters can't Say 'Yes' to Invest in Affordable Homes if the housing bond is not approved by the General Assembly, yet there is no vote scheduled for our legislators to put the bond on the ballot. 

It is URGENT that they hear from you that our state cannot afford to wait, and that getting the housing bond onto the ballot is top priority! Current housing resources are insufficient, and that is putting more Rhode Islanders at risk of becoming severly cost-burdened and experiencing homelessness. We want to ensure that all Rhode Islanders have access to safe and affordable housing, which is why we are asking you to contact your state legislators now.

If the General Assembly fails to vote, then Rhode Islanders will lose the opportunity to approve the housing bond, which in turn delays much-needed affordable housing development. We simply cannot afford this housing bond not making it onto the ballot, and the only way it does is if the General Assembly reconvenes and votes.

If we fail to secure this bond, we are putting more Rhode Islanders at risk of becoming homeless. According to the 2020 Point in Time Count, 1,104 Rhode Islanders will experience homelessness on any given night, while 108 will be unsheltered, a 34% increase from last year. 

Housing is healthcare, and the foundation of our economic and community wellbeing. Without access to safe and affordable housing, more Rhode Islanders will be at risk of becoming cost-burdened and experiencing homelessness. The General Assembly needs to vote on this bond proposal and put it on the ballot, or face increasing housing instability and homelessness among thousands of Rhode Islanders.

Included in Governor Raimondo's proposed FY21 budget is $65M for much needed investments in affordable homes and community revitalization. We need this investment to help address our state’s crisis-level housing shortage. Without a new bond, RI’s investment in affordable homes will drop to less than $5 per capita (compared to our neighbor states of MA / CT who invest $100 per capita).

The Governor's FY21 budget would ask voters to approve a $65 million Affordable Housing and Community Revitalization package that includes:

• - $45 million for new construction, predevelopment financing, health & safety repairs, and property purchase & rehabilitation of affordable homes
• - $20 million for community revitalization including development of community hubs, open spaces, local business & mixed use projects, and connective infrastructure, for communities most impacted by COVID-19

Since 2006, Rhode Islanders have overwhelmingly voted in favor of investments in housing. Please ask your legislators to, once again, give voters the opportunity to voice their support for themselves and their neighbors to live in safe, healthy and affordable homes in thriving communities.