Housing costs are the top concern for Rhode Island voters, a new poll finds I Boston Globe
The cost of housing is far and away the most important issue to Rhode Island voters, according to a just-released poll from a newish advocacy group called Neighbors Welcome! RI.
The survey of 602 registered voters conducted between Feb. 21 and March 5, found that 57 percent of voters believe housing is the biggest issue in the state. Inflation was second at 39 percent, followed by homelessness at 27 percent, health care costs at 23 percent, and taxes at 20 percent.
Poll: Most Rhode Islanders Say the Cost of Homes is a Major Problem
Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Rhode Islanders say that there are too few homes in their community that average people can afford, according to a new poll commissioned by Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island (Neighbors Welcome) and conducted by YouGov Blue, which surveyed 602 registered voters between February 21st and March 5th, 2025. More than half of respondents (57%) identified the cost of housing as the most important issue facing the state today–more than any other issue by a significant margin.
In addition, the poll reveals the level of public support for various policy strategies to accelerate housing production and address the housing shortage.
Leadership helping RI make strides building housing | Opinion | Providence Journal
Claudia Wack and Greg Miller, Guest columnists
Rhode Island’s housing shortage won’t be solved overnight, but with sustained effort and smart policy changes, it is a challenge we can overcome. The solution is ultimately simple: we must build more homes.
Local housing costs are rising because there are simply not enough homes to meet demand. As inventory tightens, competition goes up, and so do prices. Rhode Island builds significantly fewer homes than the national average; since 2020, cities and towns have issued only 6,218 residential construction permits for a population of over one million people. As a result, the Providence metropolitan area (which includes all five of the state's counties) has consistently seen among the nation’s highest increases in asking rent, outpacing major cities like New York and Boston. During the same period, regions that support new housing construction have seen prices fall.