Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Speaker Shekarchi’s legislation to amend Low and Moderate Housing Act passes House

 

WARWICK, RI – Legislation sponsored by House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi to amend Rhode Island’s Low and Moderate Income Housing Act was passed by the House today. The legislation is part of Speaker Shekarchi’s 14-bill package of legislation to address Rhode Island’s housing crisis.

“Rhode Island is in dire need of more housing. The package of legislation my colleagues and I have put forth will make it easier to develop housing by eliminating unnecessary barriers, and this bill is one more tool in our toolbox,” said Speaker Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick). “When it comes to the development process, time is money. Streamlining the permitting process will cut some of the costs associated with building more homes, while expediting the timeframe for those new homes to be built.”

The bill (2023-H6081A) would provide amendments relative to low- and moderate-income housing and modify and clarify the procedure for review of applications to build housing. It would streamline the process of permitting from three steps to two steps, not including pre-application, to follow the purpose of the comprehensive permit process, and sets forth necessary submission items at each stage of the permitting process. The legislation retains current standards, but provides greater clarity for the review of applications.

The legislation does not alter the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act’s requirement that cities and towns maintain 10 percent of their year-round housing stock as affordable. According to data from HousingWorksRI’s 2022 Housing Fact Book, only six municipalities in Rhode Island have achieved the goals set forth in the Act.

 

 

The House has began a debate session ahead of tonight's vote on the debt ceiling deal. The bill negotiated between the White House and Republicans would suspend the nation's debt ceiling for two years. Voting is scheduled to begin this hour.       Former President Trump's White House aides are being subpoenaed over the firing of a top election security official. Trump fired his cybersecurity chief Christopher Krebs in November 2020 after the presidential election. It came days after Krebs went against Trump's false election fraud claims in a statement describing the election as one of the most secure in American history.       Actor Danny Masterson is guilty of raping two women. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury also said it was deadlocked on the charge related to a third accuser. The jury deliberated for seven days before deciding the actor raped the two victims at his Hollywood Hills home two decades ago.        The GOP field for the 2024 presidential nomination is about to get another candidate. Axios reports that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will announce his candidacy at a town hall in New Hampshire next week. A once ally of former President Trump, Christie has turned into one of his critics within the Republican party.       Only 18 percent of Americans are satisfied with the state of the nation. That's about half of the historical 35-percent average. A new Gallup poll shows that the number of Americans saying they're satisfied with the trajectory of the country has been below 20-percent since March.       Bruce Springsteen is said to be ok after falling on stage while performing in Amsterdam over the weekend. The singer took a spill while going up a set of stairs, but was quickly helped up by members of his E Street Band. One concertgoer tweeted that the 73-year-old was able to finish the concert.        

Old News Archives