Over the past year, the state has revised its methodology for counting Low and Moderate Income Housing units. The latest report, released on June 9, indicates a significant increase in the number of housing units when the new methodology is applied.
Otherwise, applying the old method, the actual number of units decreased slightly, by 97 units, according to RIhousing, The new methodology, however, added 6,662 “countable units … attributable to including federal rental assistance vouchers and certain mobile and manufactured homes in the count,” according to RIhousing.
What hasn’t changed is the state goal of having at least 10 percent of year-round housing qualify as low and moderate income.
Because of the new methodology, the number of municipalities achieving the 10 percent goal has increased to eight in 2024, double what it was in 2023. Newport, Central Falls, Providence and Woonsocket all achieved 10 percent or more in 2023. All four qualified in 2024, with Burrillville, East Providence, Pawtucket and West Warwick also achieving the 10 percent threshold.
Here is what has changed:
- Under the old method, the number of deed restricted properties statewide was 37,816 in 2023. In 2024 that number decreased slightly to 37,719. Under the new method the total number of low- and moderate-income units increased to 44,478.
- According to RIhousing, the most significant changes “allows federal rental assistance vouchers to be counted toward a community’s affordable housing goal if they are leased in units that do not otherwise meet the LMIH standard.” Additionally, mobile and manufactured homes “may be counted towards a municipality’s low-and moderate income as one-half each,” provided they meet certain requirements.
Here are some other highlights:
- In 2024, statewide 343 new units of low- and moderate-income housing were added. The report also said that “93 special needs units were preserved in the Fifty Washington Square development in Newport.” Other units were lost with the expiration of deed restrictions, and others for noncompliance with their deed restrictions.
- Statewide the overwhelming majority of low- and moderate-income properties are rental units, –“90 percent of deed restricted low- and moderate-income units are affordable rentals.”
- Warren had an 81.07 percent increase in its low- and moderate-income housing count, without any new deed restricted units. The change, according to RIhousing was the result of new rules.
- Of the total of deed restricted units, 51 percent serve elderly and/or elderly disabled populations, 40 percent serve families, and 9 percent serve the special needs population.
- In the latest count, Newport is second statewide with 17.27 percent of its housing stock low and moderate income, just behind Central Falls at 17.76 percent. Jamestown is at 4.2 percent; Little Compton, 0.65 percent; Middletown, 6.13 percent; and Portsmouth, 3.5 percent.