Rhode Island officials offering cash incentives to landlords who offer units for homeless

McKee's office says incentives will be offered to landlords who help meet urgent housing needs.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Governor Dan McKee along with other state housing partners are now offering cash incentives for landlords who offer vacant and affordable units to help the homeless.

This comes one month before federal funds to the state will expire that help pay for temporary housing for over 150 families in motels across the state.

The “Landlord Challenge” on was launched on Tuesday, offering landlords a $3000 signing bonus for the first unit signed on and $1000 for each additional unit volunteered as part of the program.

A similar program was launched in 2020 and 2021 but did not offer tenants as much cash.

In addition to the bonus landlords will be paid monthly rent in-full. The tenant is required to pay a certain price based on their income and additional federal funds will pay the rest.

“During that time, if a person’s income increases they’ll pay a bigger portion of the rent. So usually, it starts out that people are paying 30% of what is rent reasonable, meaning other apartments in the area are around the same rent,” Eileen Hayes, CEO of Amos House, adds.

State officials say they anticipate the most unit requests to come for apartments in Woonsocket, Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls.

According to latest stats from the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness over 1300 Rhode Islanders are experiencing homelessness.