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Committee hears technical amendments to Rhode Island's Low and Moderate Income Housing Act
Summary
House Bill 5801 would amend the state's Low and Moderate Income Housing Act to clarify calculation rules, restore an optional concept/master‑plan stage, and expand certain processes to all municipalities beginning Jan. 1, 2026; planners raised concerns about density bonuses and denial standards.
The House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing heard House Bill 5801, a technical and substantive amendment package to the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act, on March 20, 2025. Attorney Joelle Rocha and representatives from Rhode Island Housing and the Housing Network described multiple changes intended to refine implementation of the law passed two years earlier.
Key changes explained by counsel and stakeholder witnesses - Wetland buffers: The bill clarifies treatment of wetland buffers in density calculations so that buffers are handled consistently with other applications and with DEM’s jurisdictional rules; counsel said this change does not authorize construction in regulated wetlands. - Concept/master‑plan review: In response to developer requests, the bill restores an optional early “concept” or master‑plan review phase for larger projects. The…
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