Groundbreaking ceremony held for new affordable housing in South Providence
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Gov. Dan McKee, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and other state and local leaders broke ground on a new housing project that will bring dozens of new homes to Providence.
R.I. Housing, along with other community partners, will begin to redevelop abandoned townhouses at the former Barbara Jordan II development on Portland Street into 79 affordable housing units.
Of the 79 total units, 40 rent restricted townhomes will serve households earning at or below 60% of the area median income of $49,065.
The 39 apartments will serve those in the 50 to 80% range of the area median income.
Significantly lower prices than other apartments in the city, as pointed out by state Rep. Anastasia Williams at Monday’s event.
“We have apartments at 120% AMI to pay 15-hundred a month for an apartment, some of us don’t make 15-hundred in three months…we have to be real and honest about the situation in front of us,” Williams said.
Williams’ statement is one many Rhode Islanders can relate to, as rentals have been hard to come by and costly for quite some time. However, change is starting to take shape.
Earlier this year, Mckee made a $90 million investment to 1,500 affordable housing units for households earning up to 80% of the area median income.
A significant amount of funding that R.I. Housing Director Carol Ventura said should make progress in ending a crisis that’s impacted renters and buyers for years.
“This is unprecedented, the dollar amounts that are being invested in affordable housing. The governor and general assembly have really stepped up. Now all we need is the land to build up or the buildings to renovate,” Ventura said. “I think in 3 years, you’re going to see a significant difference in affordable housing.”
The redevelopment project will include 26 two and three-story apartment buildings. Those buildings will be partially demolished at the site.
In a release, McKee said the new homes will “provide safe and comfortable housing opportunities for families and have a transformational impact on their lives and on the broader community.”
