LETTERS

Leading the way to balanced policies to increase housing

Posted 10/5/22

To the Editor,

If you’re trying to purchase a home, currently rent, or are looking to remodel your existing home to adjust to today’s new post-covid ways of living - with older parents …

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LETTERS

Leading the way to balanced policies to increase housing

Posted

To the Editor,

If you’re trying to purchase a home, currently rent, or are looking to remodel your existing home to adjust to today’s new post-covid ways of living - with older parents moving in, kids staying longer, and work from home realities - housing and the policies surrounding it, are now major societal issues.

While all these issues come together to shape the “housing crisis” - as its now known to be - the leadership shown by Speaker Joe Shekarchi on this issue has been comprehensive, inclusive, detailed and focused on finding meaningful policy reforms. It’s leadership that’s not just about Rhode Island as it has the real potential to create a national example on how to effectively make balanced policies to increase housing supply.

So, what’s occurring here? In motion at the State House are two major House commissions charged with finding solutions to current Land Use and Low / Moderate housing limitations in the market, there are new programs and funding sources to expand infrastructure, new laws have been passed to promote accessory dwelling units (ADUs), expedite local decision-making processes, reform permitting, and expand housing opportunities, and yet it’s still the beginning. A new a way of looking at housing need, its connection to our communities and its importance in our economic health and well-being, is underway. An environmentally sound, strategic path is now possible with the leadership of the Speaker.

Lastly, to show you what is meant by comprehensive in this circumstance, the Speaker understands that solving the housing issue is more than just zoning and land use reforms. To change the trajectory and build more housing, you need a trained workforce, and with our industry losing its skilled tradesman at alarming rates, the industry needs continued training resources to develop skilled workers, inspectors, minority outreaches, and contractors to build its future and our State’s future housing needs. Recognized by the Speaker, he dedicated a solution to help maintain and develop the training resources needed to build more and balanced it to be inclusive and sustainable.

To summarize, leadership, well thought out policy, stakeholder investment, collaboration, and focus, represent what is occurring under Joe Shekarchi’s watch and the residents of his district and of the City of Warwick should be rather proud that they are represented so well, and that their local district has sent someone of such determination and skill to lead our State at this time. So, we may indeed have a housing crisis, but we don’t have a crisis in leadership and that is the difference, that is the asset that is leader Shekarchi.


Carol O’Donnell

President – RI Builders Association

John Marcantonio

Executive Officer – RI Builders Association

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