Rhode Island § 42-128-1 - Rhode Island Housing Resources Act of 1998

§ 42-128-1. Findings.

(a) Rhode Island has an older housing stock that contributes invaluably to community character, and in order to maintain the stability of neighborhoods and to sustain health communities, it is necessary to have programs for housing and community development and revitalization.

(b) Rhode Island has an active private sector that is engaged in supplying housing.

(c) Rhode Island has an active nonprofit housing sector, which can, if provided adequate support, assist low- and moderate-income persons and works to improve conditions in neighborhoods and communities.

(d) Housing that is not adequately maintained is a source of blight in communities and a cause of public health problems. Public health and safety are impaired by poor housing conditions; poisoning from lead paint and respiratory disease (asthma) are significant housing-related health problems in Rhode Island.

(e) There is an increasing need for supported living arrangements for the elderly and a continuing need for supported living arrangements for persons who are disabled and/or homeless.

(f) Fair housing, and the potential of unequal treatment of individuals based on race, ethnicity, age, disability, and family, must be given continuing attention.

(g) Housing costs consume a disproportionate share of income for many Rhode Islanders; housing affordability is a continuing problem, especially for first-time home buyers and lower and moderate income renters; the high cost of housing adversely affects the expansion of Rhode Island’s economy. Housing affordability and availability affect conditions of homelessness. The high cost of housing and the lack of affordable, decent housing for low-income households is a source of hardship for very low-income persons and families in Rhode Island.

(h) The federal government has been reducing its commitment to housing since 1981, and there is no indication that earlier levels of federal support for housing will be restored.

(i) Public housing authorities, which rely on federal support that is being reconsidered, have been and continue to be an important housing resource for low-income families and the elderly.

(j) It is necessary and desirable in order to protect that public health and to promote the public welfare, to establish an executive office of housing and an advisory council on housing and homelessness for the purposes of advising the executive office of housing on improving housing conditions, promoting housing affordability, engaging in community development activities, preventing and ending homelessness, and assisting the urban, suburban, and rural communities of the state.