Tell Dan McKee: End Rhode Island's Housing Crisis

Governor Dan McKee

Rhode Island is in the midst of a housing crisis.

Our government's failure to address this crisis has forced 146,000 Rhode Island households to shoulder the cost of unaffordable rent and mortgages. That means hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders must choose between making rent and paying for other necessities like food, medicine, and heat. The housing affordability crisis has particularly severe consequences for Black and brown state residents. Approximately 44% of white renters in our state are cost burdened by housing, while nearly 52% of Black renters in RI are cost burdened.

We need mass construction of affordable green housing and there has never been a better opportunity to jump start investment in affordable housing than right now. This summer, Rhode Island is receiving $1.7 billion from the federal government. Our government has no plan for how to spend it. That's why we need you to tell Governor Dan McKee to invest $700 million of the $1.7 billion in affordable housing.

But we can't stop there. $700 million is not enough to address this crisis. If Dan McKee and the General Assembly combine this $700 million investment with state bonds, new general revenue streams, and existing federal grants they can create a $2.5 billion investment over the next 8 years. This investment, combined with enacting rent control, would truly solve Rhode Island's housing crisis. You can read the full plan co-authored by BLM RI PAC, RI Political Co-op, Sunrise Providence, Sunrise RI Youth, Rebuild Woonsocket, and Renew RI here.

It is well within the power of our leaders to make housing affordable for every Rhode Islander. With a wave of money coming in from the federal government, now is the time for us to demand it. Will you sign our petition and demand Governor Dan McKee end Rhode Island's housing crisis?
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Renew U.S.

To: Governor Dan McKee
From: [Your Name]

Governor McKee,

You have an unprecedented opportunity to address Rhode Island's housing crisis by investing $2.5 billion in affordable housing construction over the next 8 years and enacting rent control. By adopting this plan Rhode Island could build 10,000 units of green, affordable housing. The details of the plan are as follows:

- Rhode Island has received $1.7 billion of ARPA funding. Rhode Island should spend
$700 million of that $1.7 billion on affordable housing construction. According to the
Treasury Department, ARPA funds may be used to build affordable housing in Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs). 11 QCTs are specific geographic areas – identified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development – with a large proportion of low-income residents.

- Rhode Island receives at least $25 million each year in various federal grants which can be used for affordable housing construction, including the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and the National Housing Trust Fund. 12 Over the next 8 years, these federal grants will cumulatively amount to $200 million of spending.

- Rhode Island should spend $125 million of general revenue in each one of the next 8 years on affordable housing construction. This money could be generated in a number of ways, including by raising the marginal tax rate on the richest 1% of Rhode Islanders by 5% (which would generate $170 million annually), 13 freeing nonviolent drug offenders from prison ($35.5 million annually), 14 legalizing recreational marijuana ($41 million annually), 15 or raising the real estate conveyance tax to 2% for single family residences worth $500,000 or more ($34.3 million annually).

- Rhode Island should borrow $600 million by issuing state bonds. Each bond would be worth $200 million, and three such bonds would be spaced out over the next 8 years. Each bond would be authorized by RI voters in a ballot referendum, and RI would use general revenue to remunerate its creditors in 10 – 20 years.

- Rhode Island should prohibit landlords who own more than 4 units from raising their rental prices by more than 4% annually, helping to stabilize prices and protect tenants’ rights, ensuring that they are not unfairly forced out of their homes.

- This housing should be built under collectively bargained Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), in order to ensure that all workers enjoy fair pay, high-quality benefits, and safe working conditions. Additionally, using PLAs will allow labor unions to design and implement training and apprenticeship programs, increasing the number of qualified workers able to participate in affordable housing construction.

- This housing should be highly energy efficient, equipped with rooftop solar panels, and located – when possible – near public transit routes.

You can read the full plan here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16CnEEsZo8FyAzG_M0F9C2tklNHBe0mVu/view?usp=sharing

Governor McKee, hundreds of thousands across Rhode Island are being crushed by the cost of housing. We are simply asking for what is already necessary: a $2.5 billion investment to solve our state's housing crisis. We demand that you act.