Council awards town lot on Bostonek Road to Habitat for Humanity for affordable homes

The Narragansett Town Council voted 5–0 on June 2 to award the responses to an RFP for Assessor's Plat N, Lot 23 (Bostonek Road) to Habitat for Humanity of Rhode Island — South County, with the organization proposing a development of multiple affordable homes on the town-owned parcel.

Residents and housing advocates addressed the council before the vote. Peggy Benz, executive board member of Habitat for Humanity, described the organization's track record in the region and said the project would provide up to 10 homes and long-term affordability for families. "These families, their future trajectories will be changed incredibly," Benz said during public comment. Nick Edwards, chair of the Affordable Housing Collaborative Trust, told the council Habitat had submitted a strong proposal and that Narragansett remained one of the few communities in the state where Habitat had not yet built homes.

Council members said they reviewed written proposals from multiple respondents and that staff and volunteer reviewers found Habitat's plan to be the most viable. Council discussion noted Habitat's ability to leverage donations (including ReStore revenue), volunteer labor, and partner contributions — for example, a solar company had supported recent Habitat builds in other towns. The council also acknowledged that an executive director for one respondent was delayed by another meeting and that the award would allow the selected organization to begin permitting and project planning.

The town did not disclose specific negotiated terms in the meeting; the award authorizes the town manager to proceed with next steps and to execute agreements after legal review. The council recorded the award as a formal decision at the meeting.