Press Release: New Polling: Housing Cost and Availability is a Top Concern for Voters
Rhode Island voters support state legislative action to address the state’s housing shortage
Providence, RI – Eighty-eight percent of Rhode Island voters agree that the General Assembly should take action to address the costs and availability of homes, according to a new statewide poll. The survey, which was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island, assessed residents’ policy priorities, their views toward the state of the local housing market, and their support for policies that would improve the availability and affordability of new homes.
“It is no surprise that cost and availability of housing are pressing issues for Rhode Islanders,” said Kristina Brown, Executive Director of Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island. “When asked what is the most important issue or challenge facing the state, forty-seven percent, or nearly half of voters, named housing as the top issue, and forty-one percent ranked affordability as the top issue. Rhode Islanders feel that there are not enough homes and support elected leaders who are addressing the issue.”
Notably, the results counter the belief that residents disapprove of new homebuilding, a misconception fueled by public hearing processes that tend to elevate opposition sentiment.
"Seven out of ten voters support creating more homes in their neighborhoods, even if that means their neighborhoods would experience change,” said Claudia Wack, Board President of Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island. “Voters across party affiliations, ages, and household types all support their elected leaders taking action to build more and different types of homes."
Key findings from the statewide poll include:
Housing is a pressing concern for voters of all demographics. Fully ninety-one percent of Rhode Islanders view housing as a “major problem” or “somewhat a problem.”
The result was consistent across geography: ninety-two percent of respondents outside of Providence view housing as a “major problem” or “somewhat a problem.”
81% of voters say there are not enough homes that average people can afford to rent or buy, and 83% of voters outside Providence say there are not enough homes average people can afford to rent or buy.
79% say that housing costs have had a negative impact on their or their loved ones’ lives.
Voters think the state should prioritize homebuilding, even if it means accepting certain tradeoffs.
88% of voters agree that the state should take action to address the cost and availability of homes.
When presented with a choice between building more homes and preserving the existing character of local neighborhoods, 69% of voters say it is more important to build more homes.
Rhode Island voters support specific policy solutions. Voters expressed strong support for a suite of potential housing reforms currently pending before the state legislature:
90% of voters support allowing vacant office buildings, schools, and other commercial buildings for new homes.
77% of voters support allowing faith institutions (churches, synagogues, etc.) to use a simplified permitting process to build affordable housing on their land.
74% of voters support allowing homes on smaller lots when there is access to water and sewer infrastructure.
54% of voters support lifting parking mandates and granting more flexibility for homebuilders and businesses to determine how much parking to build on a specific property.
Voters support funding and enforcing housing reforms.
82% of voters support subsidizing the conversion of vacant offices, schools, and other commercial buildings into new homes.
75% of voters support establishing a new tax on higher income earners to fund childcare, healthcare, housing, education, and public transit.
68% of voters support requiring towns to comply with new laws to allow more homes to be built, even if it means creating penalties for noncompliance.
In summary, Rhode Islanders are concerned about rising housing costs and a lack of housing options and support legislative efforts to address these issues. Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island urges state lawmakers to continue to work on addressing the housing shortage by passing key housing reform legislation.
