Council approves $75,000 from Affordable Housing Trust for Champaign Heights design work after close review

Council voted on Oct. 15 to award $75,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust to SKHA Services & Development Corporation to support the Champaign Heights redevelopment predevelopment costs. Chris Little, representing the South Kingstown Housing Authority affiliate, said the larger redevelopment — now proposed as a single, coherent project — would replace and expand existing family housing and enable a mix of income levels, noting the importance of advanced design documents to improve the projects competitive score for Rhode Island Housing financing applications.

Staff concerns and amendment: Planning and finance staff noted the application lacked an explicit table tying the $75,000 to defined predevelopment line items. Council members asked for clarity on how the funds would be validated. Chris Little committed to limit the award to architectural and engineering fees (Union Studio, Dupree/Depreet or equivalent) and to submit invoices and documentation for staff verification. The council amended the award language to direct the funds to the SKHA Services & Development Corporation and for the explicit purpose of architectural and engineering services.

Financial context: Finance reported the Affordable Housing Trust balance (~$174,692 on hand), outstanding purchase orders (about $91,000) and projected conveyance‑fee revenue during the fiscal year (~$226,000), producing an anticipated year‑end balance around $308,730. Several council members said they were comfortable approving the award given the projected replenishment; others expressed caution about depleting the fund without clearer accounting.

Outcome and next steps: The council approved the $75,000 award by voice vote after the amendment. Staff will require documented invoices tied to architectural/engineering predevelopment work before reimbursing, and the award will be routed to the SKHA Services & Development Corporation as the applicant entity. Little said the funds would help the project reach 50% design completeness — a level Rhode Island Housing said would improve the project's application score.

Why it matters: The funding supports a redevelopment that, if financed, would create dozens of affordable units (Little said the proposal envisions 75 apartments with 33 net new affordable units) and leverages substantial outside financing; council discussion reflected competing priorities about using limited trust funds for predevelopment costs.