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Lawmakers say dorm‑style and workforce housing bills could help Block Island; concerns about scoring and infrastructure noted
Summary
State lawmakers and local officials discussed several housing proposals at the March 12 meeting, including bills to allow dorm‑style housing and to provide technical assistance and municipal planning grants; legislators also raised concerns about Rhode Island Housing scoring that disfavors smaller/rural communities.
Lede: State legislators and town officials told the New Shoreham Town Council on March 12, 2025, that several bills aimed at expanding workforce and dorm‑style housing options are moving through the General Assembly and could benefit Block Island if enacted, but local officials cautioned that planning and infrastructure constraints remain substantial.
Nut graf: Representatives described a pair of bills—one to permit dorm‑style housing zoning and another to create a classification useful for seasonal workforce housing—and said state technical assistance and municipal planning grants could help island communities. Lawmakers also said they are pushing Rhode Island Housing to change scoring that currently favors denser urban projects and penalizes smaller, rural towns.
Body: Representative Tina Spears told the council she sits on the House committees handling housing and municipal governance and described two related proposals: one bill would allow towns to zone for dorm‑style housing; another, sponsored by Representative Carol McAtee, would create a classification to facilitate workforce housing for seasonal workers. Spears said those changes could be codified in state law and noted that Block Island already uses similar local approaches.
Senator DiMariu said the state recently confirmed a new housing secretary, Deb Goddard, and that the Department of Housing is preparing implementation changes that the Senate Committee on Housing and Municipal Governance will review. She said she is urging the new secretary to consider geographic equity when reallocating funds for homelessness and housing resources.
Local officials and legislators also raised concerns about how Rhode Island Housing’s scoring of applications disadvantages smaller communities. Representative Spears said South County representatives met with leadership and the housing secretary to press for changes so that towns like New Shoreham are not penalized in funding competitions.
Ending: Lawmakers and town staff urged municipal leaders to prepare application materials and technical questions so that when state programs and bond funding become available, Block Island can seek the smaller‑scale, infrastructure‑appropriate projects it needs.
