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State lawmakers tell Narragansett council housing governance review could shape local funding flow
Summary
Senator Alana DeMario and Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee described a state effort to reorganize housing governance and how that could affect the flow of housing dollars into communities; the council's $3 million housing bond was discussed as local leverage.
State lawmakers told the Narragansett Town Council on Feb. 3 that a state-level governance review of the Department of Housing could change how housing dollars reach municipalities and affect local affordable housing production.
At the joint work session, Senator Alana DeMario said the Senate Committee on Oversight and the Housing and Municipal Government Committee held a joint hearing on governance, homelessness response and the State Department of Housing's organization. "We currently have an acting secretary of housing... they were tasked with coming up with an organizational plan," DeMario said, describing a state review intended to better coordinate how housing funds are administered.
Why it matters: The reorganization could alter which state entities disburse funds for affordable housing, affecting Narragansett's ability to use state dollars alongside its recent local actions.
Local context: Council members and McEntee noted Narragansett voters approved a $3,000,000 bond to spur housing production; McEntee said the bond is an example of local action that will need to coordinate with any new state governance plan. The council was urged to watch the governance plan and to identify projects that would be ready should state funding become available.
Discussion and next steps: McEntee encouraged town officials to submit specific data or requests if the town expects level funding to be effectively a cut because of rising costs: "If for Narragansett was level funded for this year, but that really represents kind of a cut because of the cost of everything have gone up, that's something to probably put in writing in a letter and send to us." She also noted recurring attempts to revise the school funding formula, saying such proposals are likely to reappear.
Ending: The delegation offered to assist with letters of support for grant applications and urged the council to track departmental reorganizations so the town can align local projects with available state funding.
