Housing Opportunities Made Equitable (HOME)
The Housing Opportunities Made Equitable (HOME) Team is focused on how the affordable housing crisis in Rhode Island has come to be and the steps that can be taken to address it both from a policy and research perspective.
Overall Purpose
The Housing Opportunities Made Equitable (HOME) Team is focused on addressing the present affordable housing crisis in Rhode Island, which is ranked last in the United States for increasing housing supply. HOME is centered around researching, promoting, and passing pragmatic legislation that directly addresses the root causes of unaffordable housing, including prohibitive regulations and building costs. Previous success includes the passage of legislation to legalize ADUs, the passage of the housing bond, and the publication of two informative reports. We look forward to continuing our partnership with General Assembly members and Government officials to target key areas inhibiting the development of affordable housing.
Achievements
Previous accomplishments include the passage of legalizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Rhode Island as well as the release of two policy reports, The Role and Potential Impact of ADU Legalization on the Rhode Island Housing Crisis and Why Rhode Island Needs a Permanent Revenue Stream Dedicated to Affordable Housing.
Short-Term Goals
HOME is rooted in achieving meaningful results through legislative advocacy by compiling research to support bills and testifying in front of committees. Our team is currently engaging affordable housing partners in the Government, including the Rhode Island Department of Housing and RIHousing, to identify potential legislation to develop and target for the upcoming 2026 General Session. We intend to develop a slate of one to three bills that HOME will testify on during the 2026 General Session using a newly developed research report backing each bill’s projected positive outcome.