A Case for Urgent Housing Reform
- Nov 13
- 2 min read
Housing in Providence is at a breaking point. Nearly half of renters and over one-third of homeowners are “cost burdened,” meaning they spend more than they can afford just to maintain shelter. Rents have spiked: from March 2023 to March 2024, Providence recorded among the highest rent increases nationally (≈ 16 %) and followed that with another steep climb. Meanwhile, since 2020 more than 24,000 evictions have been filed, over 5,100 in the past year alone. And the problem is intensifying: homelessness in Rhode Island rose by 35 % between 2023 and 2024. Added to this, Rhode Island ranks last (50th) among states in new housing permits issued — the supply is simply not keeping pace.
In short: there are too few homes that are affordable, too many properties in disrepair, and too many residents being priced out or displaced. The private market is failing to correct these imbalances—if anything, it’s making them worse.
To confront the crisis, the Task Force offers a menu of both immediate and long-term strategies across four core areas.
Expand Housing Supply
Fast-track permitting for affordable and mixed-income projects and reduce developer fees.
Create a Public Land Bank to acquire and steward parcels for affordable housing.
Explore a municipal public developer model to build and manage income-diverse, permanently affordable housing (drawing lessons from Atlanta and Montgomery County).
Rental Market Regulation
Enact a registry of rental units and monitor market activity.
Ban or restrict the use of algorithmic rent-setting tools (which can fuel across-the-board rent hikes).
Consider vacancy or “holding” taxes to discourage landlords from keeping units empty in hopes of speculative gain.
Strengthen Tenant Protections & Limit Displacement
Adopt rent stabilization, capping yearly increases based on a fixed percentage or inflation. (Providence City Council)
Reform tax sale rules: ban or limit online auctions, restrict bulk purchases by institutional investors, and offer community development corporations (CDCs) first-right to purchase.
Empower Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and ensure public land is available to such community-led affordability models.
Tackle Homelessness & Emergency Shelter
Scale up emergency shelter capacity and ensure rapid, safe access.
Embrace Housing First models and invest in permanent supportive housing for the most vulnerable.
Improve coordination among city, state, and nonprofit partners to integrate mental health, substance use, and housing services.
The report doesn’t sweep aside the challenges faced by small, community-based landlords. It acknowledges rising maintenance costs, taxes, insurance, and tenant management burdens, and proposes reforms aimed at distinguishing responsible landlords from predatory actors.
Why Now Matters
The housing crisis in Providence is not a distant possibility—it’s manifesting in communities today. (Providence City Council) The urgency is echoed by the City Council: the report is being forwarded for legislative action, and many of the policy proposals build upon reforms already initiated (such as banning rental price algorithms and limiting bulk tax sales). (Providence City Council)
Providence sits at a crossroads: it can respond with bold, coordinated action—or risk further displacement, eroded neighborhood character, and deepening inequality. This report offers a roadmap. The question now is: will the city act—and how rapidly?
