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Jamestown discusses aspirational affordable‑housing bond, affordable‑housing committee to pursue proposals
Summary
Town administration presented an aspirational affordable‑housing bond and outlined next steps for the Affordable Housing Committee, which will seek proposals for town‑owned sites and consider using trust‑fund balances and linkage/impact fees as elements of a multi‑year strategy.
Town Administrator Ed Mello outlined an affordable‑housing bond concept at the budget workshop, calling it an aspirational commitment the town could present to voters to signal readiness to pursue affordable units and to position the town to obtain matching funds from outside sources.
Mello said the Affordable Housing Committee intends to use existing trust funds for initial steps, to issue requests for proposals (RFPs) on town‑owned parcels and to evaluate linkage or impact fees that could create a recurring local revenue source. He described the bond idea as a way for voters to show a commitment that can unlock outside grants and private partnership dollars; Narragansett’s recent $3 million bond was cited as a nearby example of that approach.
Why it matters: Jamestown is substantially below the state’s 10 percent affordable‑housing target. Town planner Lisa Bridal told the council the town is currently at approximately 4.29 percent affordable housing and that incremental, multi‑year actions are necessary to move toward compliance with state goals.
Next steps
The Affordable Housing Committee plans to bring forward specific proposals, starting with targeted use of existing trust funds and RFPs for town sites (the ambulance barn site was mentioned as an example of a town parcel that could accommodate housing). The committee will also research fee structures and potential partnerships; any large‑scale development or construction would require a voter authorization if it carried a bond request.
No formal bond question was placed on the warrant at the workshop; councilors and staff discussed timing and the need to present the community with concrete project details before asking voters to authorize borrowing. Mello said the administration planned to return with more detailed, shovel‑ready alternatives and cost estimates for council consideration.
Ending: Councilors asked the Affordable Housing Committee and staff to proceed with RFPs and technical planning and to bring specific projects and financing options back to the council for consideration before any bond question is finalized.
