Hundreds more homes to be rehabbed in RI - ABC6 - Providence, RI and New Bedford, MA News, Weather

Hundreds more homes to be rehabbed in RI

Andrea Medeiros

amedeiros@abc6.com

Many of you voted for it, 25 million dollars for affordable housing. That money will fix up hundreds of abandoned homes in Rhode Island. Some of that cash will come out of your pocket.

Single mom Mayca Reyes couldn't be happier she's moving into this apartment in South Providence, next month.

"I love it. I really do," said Reyes.

She got a three bedroom for seven hundred dollars thanks to an affordable housing program.

"A lot of these homes in this neighborhood were foreclosed or were on vacant lots that had been demolished, so we are really excited about the revitalization of this neighborhood," said Rhode Island Housing Executive Director Richard Godfrey.

Reyes' building is part of a ten million dollar investment into 37 abandoned lots and foreclosed homes in Providence. Now with a 25 million dollar bond passed by voters, last week, hundreds more families across Rhode Island will get affordable homes.

"Without some of these subsidies, these folks would be either living in sub–standard conditions, moving in with families, creating overcrowding conditions or in our homeless shelters," said City Councilman Luis Aponte.

But as families like Reyes' save on rent, taxpayers will pay.

"Millions," said Godfrey, "But all together it's about a ten million dollar development and all together the taxpayers probably put in 20 percent of that."

Reyes is grateful, with three girls going to college at URI, she's putting her extra cash to good use.

In order to be eligible for this affordable housing, families usually make between 30 and 40 thousand dollars a year.