Consultant presents housing production plan showing high renter cost burden, low renter incomes

Susan Mara, an AICP-certified planner with Weston & Sampson, told the Warren Town Council that a housing production plan and companion online story map prepared for the town show large affordability gaps and a renter population with low median incomes. "The renter median income in Warren is much lower than your average median income for homeowners," Mara said, citing an approximate median renter income of $39,000 versus a homeowner median of about $113,000.

The plan, funded through Rhode Island Housing's Municipal Technical Assistance Program, also finds 41% of renters and 19% of homeowners spend more than 30% of their income on housing, a standard measure of cost burden. Mara said Warren’s rental households tend to be smaller, skew older and include more residents at lower income brackets than neighboring towns.

Why it matters: those patterns shape what types of affordable housing will help most. Mara said Warren’s needs are especially concentrated among older adults and lower-income renters rather than the family-oriented affordable units sought by some nearby towns. She noted a Market Street area identified in earlier local planning reports contains many lower‑income renters and is projected to become more flood-prone over the next 25–50 years, complicating long‑term housing strategy.

Council members asked about use of housing choice vouchers, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and naturally occurring affordable housing. Mara confirmed the town’s voucher count will be included in the town’s percentage toward the state’s 10% affordable housing threshold and said ADUs can help seniors age in place when designed with appropriate parking and design standards. She also said the plan’s toolbox offers several approaches, including targeting smaller units for older residents and factoring climate impacts into siting and design.

Next steps cited by the consultant and council: publish the story map, share the full report with the town administrator and use the data to inform grant requests and zoning changes. Mara said the consultant will work with the manager and town staff on public access to the story map and will accept council comments after the materials are posted.

Ending: Council members thanked Mara and said they will use the plan as a working document for zoning, grant applications and the town’s affordable-housing strategy. The presentation prompted separate council action later in the meeting to refer draft ADU and cottage-on-green ordinance language for solicitor drafting and review by planning-related committees.