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Newport study: about 50 housing units a year needed; zoning tweaks and redevelopment could unlock hundreds
Summary
A state‑funded build‑out study presented to Newport City leaders says the city needs roughly 50 new housing units a year (≈1,500 over 30 years). Consultants and staff say modest zoning changes, converting single‑family lots, and targeted redevelopment (North End, Gateway Center) are the main levers to expand workforce and middle‑income housing.
Kim Salerno, the consultant leading Newport’s state‑funded housing technical assistance program, told a joint City Council and Planning Board workshop that the city needs about 50 housing units per year for the next 30 years — roughly 1,500 units — based on the study’s population projections. “A good shorthand way of thinking about housing is that Newport needs 50 units a year for the next 30 years, amounting to about 1,500 total,” she said.
The presentation combined mapping, U.S. Census/American Community Survey data and a public survey of about 470 respondents to show rising affordability pressure. Presenters said Newport’s median house price was shown in the study at roughly $830,000 and that local rents run roughly 20%–30% above the…
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