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Providence council opposes parts of state '8 law' reform, urges protections for local authority
Summary
The Providence City Council passed a nonbinding resolution opposing key sections of House Bill 5688 and Senate Bill 0963 that councilors said would lock in long-term tax breaks for developers and limit local control over affordable-housing requirements.
The Providence City Council voted to oppose key provisions of pending state legislation that council members said would undermine local authority and could provide long-term tax breaks to developers with little requirement for deep affordability.
The resolution, centered on concerns with House Bill 5688 and Senate Bill 0963 (described in the resolution as changes to the state's "8 law"), passed after roughly an hour of debate on May 1. Councilman Reyes, sponsor of the resolution, told colleagues the bills "are being marketed as a tool to promote deeply affordable housing, but I don't want to sugarcoat it. This isn't reform. It's a blank check for developers." He argued the bills would dilute affordability standards, retroactively bless past tax deals and preempt stronger local requirements.
Why it matters: Council members who supported the resolution said…
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