Woonsocket Radio News Room

Rep. Cruz introduces legislation to take advantage of underutilized land in communities

Legislation is part of Speaker Shekarchi’s 2025 12-bill housing package

 

            STATE HOUSE – Rep. Cherie L. Cruz has introduced legislation that would take advantage of underutilized land in a community for the purpose of housing construction.

            The legislation is part of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) 12-bill package of legislation regarding housing issues, his fifth comprehensive suite of housing bills since becoming Speaker in 2021.

            “Every day, I see individuals and families fighting to secure safe and affordable housing.  But too often, people are left defeated because the sad reality is that there is not enough housing built to satisfy our state’s housing needs.  This bill will open up underutilized land, making it easier to construct the housing units that our residents are desperate for, and it will go a long way to maximizing the limited amount of space that our tiny state possesses,” said Representative Cruz (D-Dist. 58, Pawtucket).

            The bill (2025-H 5799) is based on feedback presented to the House Commission on Land Use to take advantage of underutilized land in a community. It would allow oversized lots to be subdivided if the resulting lots are equal to or greater than the lots in the immediate area. Additionally, the legislation would allow administrative modifications of dimensional requirements based on the average dimensional standard of the surrounding structures.

            The legislation would take effect on January 1, 2026, and it has been referred to the House Municipal Government and Housing Committee.

The longest government shutdown ever is now in its 38th day and starting today, thousands of flights are being cancelled as the FAA makes cuts at 40 busy airports. It comes as air traffic controllers and TSA agents continue to work while not getting paid. Also in focus on Day 38: food assistance after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to pay full November SNAP benefits by today, saying "people have gone without for too long."        President Trump is announcing sweeping cost cuts on obesity drugs. The White House says that Eli Lilly, which makes Zepbound, and Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Wegovy, will lower the price of those injectable weight loss drugs to as little as 350-dollars a month for starter doses. The list prices now exceed one-thousand-dollars.        Elon Musk's quest to become the first trillionaire got a vote of confidence, but he still needs to deliver. Tesla's shareholders approved the pay package on Thursday, but only if the company hits ambitious milestones. Tesla's value must rise dramatically, 20 million cars must be delivered and Musk must deploy one-million humanoid robots.        A former Department of Justice employee who admitted throwing a sandwich at a federal agent has been acquitted of misdemeanor assault. The not guilty verdict for Sean Dunn came Thursday after prosecutors earlier failed to get a federal grand jury to return an indictment for the August incident on the streets of Washington, DC.        Production of the Ford-150 Lightning electric pickup might be coming to an end soon. The Wall Street Journal reports the automaker is considering ceasing the pickup's production for good. The F-150 Lightning was suspended last month due to a shortage of aluminum for the body, and sales of the truck have missed expectations.        Starbucks dropped a 30-dollar Bearista Cold Cup yesterday and if you wanted one, you're more than likely out of luck. The bear-shaped glass cup sold out within minutes of becoming available nationwide. If you missed out, the cups have already made their way to the secondary market, where some are listed for hundreds of dollars.       

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