Governor McKee Ceremonially Signs Six Bills to Support Housing Development Statewide

Published on Friday, August 22, 2025

Bills expand permitting access, create new housing land bank, and update zoning requirements

PROVIDENCE, RI — Today, Governor Dan McKee ceremonially signed a six-bill legislative package aimed at increasing access to housing and streamlining the permitting process.

At the signing, Governor McKee was joined by Representative June Speakman (D-Dist. 38, Bristol, Warren), Representative Robert E. Craven, Sr. (D-Dist. 32, North Kingstown), Senator Jake Bissaillon (D-Dist. 1, Providence), Senator Meghan E. Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence), Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, Executive Office of Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard, and Michelle Bleau, and the Director of Real Estate Development at One Neighborhood Builders.

The event took place at Sheridan Small Homes, a five-home condominium community developed by One Neighborhood Builders. Sheridan Small Homes—built in partnership with RISD, Building Futures, and others—demonstrates how creative, community-driven solutions can help first-time buyers achieve homeownership and begin building generational wealth. This innovative project directly aligns with the McKee administration’s Housing 2030 plan, which sets a bold target of permitting 1,000 new homeownership units.

“Building a stronger economy and a healthier Rhode Island starts with ensuring access to quality housing,” said Governor McKee. “That’s why we’ve made the largest budget investment in housing in our state’s history, along with the largest housing bond ever approved. These investments are delivering results with thousands of new units built, preserved or in the pipeline and real progress being made in line with our Housing 2030 plan. These bills help continue that momentum, and I’m grateful to the General Assembly for their partnership.”

The bills signed by Governor McKee include:

The expansion of electronic permitting (H5803Aaa/S1087): Sponsored by House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) and Senator Robert Britto (D-Dist. 18, East Providence, Pawtucket), the bill expands the use of electronic permitting for planning and zoning applications, adding applications for the Department of Environmental Management, Coastal Resources Management Council, and Department of Transportation to the e-permitting system by October 2026.
New zoning village/mixed-use zoning requirements (H5800A/S1090A): Sponsored by Representative Robert Craven Sr. (D-Dist. 32, North Kingstown) and Senator Bissaillon, this bill requires municipalities to provide for village or mixed-use zoning to allow residential use in some or all areas of their commercial zoning districts.
Attached single-family dwelling units (H5798Aaa/S1083A): Sponsored by Representative Speakman and Senator Kallman, this bill allows for low-cost homeownership opportunities, like townhouses, to be built where zoning laws already allow for the same density in a vertical style, by way of tenement or other two-, three-, or multi-family structures.
Co-living housing opportunities (H5797A/S1085): Sponsored by Representative Carol McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett) and Senator Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown), this bill enables municipalities to allow for the use of co-housing arrangements as energy-efficient, low-cost housing options similar to dorms in which there are common spaces, amenities, and facilities, but residents have separate private bedrooms.
Creation of a housing land bank (H5955A/S122A): Sponsored by Representative Speakman and Senator Kallman, this bill creates a land bank within the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation. The land bank serves as a repository to accept, hold, transfer, and sell properties, with the goal of transforming vacant and underutilized properties into affordable housing. This legislation breaks down barriers to affordable housing development by making it easier to identify suitable properties and decreasing land acquisition costs.
Reviving Housing and Conservation Board (H5310/S711): Sponsored by Representative Speakman and Senator Bissaillon, this bill brings back the Rhode Island Housing and Conservation Board with the goal of creating and sustaining low-and moderate-income housing and conserving and protecting important Rhode Island lands.

“Rhode Island’s housing crisis was decades in the making and is taking a sustained effort, over the course of years, to address,” said Speaker Shekarchi. “Prior to our recent efforts, the last substantive land use legislation passed in our state was in the 1990s. Since then, too many communities have become more and more restrictive about how much and what types of housing they’ll allow to be constructed. Five years and almost 60 new housing laws later, we are still chipping away at the barriers that have made development in Rhode Island more costly and more cumbersome than necessary. I am so appreciative of all of the partners who work with me to address our housing shortage, and this progress is the result of our collaborative efforts.”

“Rhode Island desperately needs more housing units, and we need the kinds of homes that people can afford. That means we need to encourage smaller, less-expensive alternatives,” said Representative Speakman, who chairs the House Commission on Housing Affordability. “One of the bills signed today includes options like townhomes and similar attached dwellings that will enable families, seniors, and singles looking for starter homes to be able to achieve homeownership. I am also proud of my legislation creating a land bank to accept property for redevelopment into housing, and another bill I sponsored, which revives a state board to bring together leaders in land conservation, construction, and affordable housing to promote sustainable housing growth.”

“As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing & Municipal Government, and on behalf of President Lawson and my Senate colleagues, I commend the many partners whose commitment to addressing the housing crisis made this legislation possible. Together, we can continue to make housing more accessible and affordable while reimagining our communities in ways that will help all Rhode Islanders thrive,” said Senator Bissaillon, who chairs the Senate Committee on Housing & Municipal Government.

“Rhode Island’s housing crisis is holding back our state and its people in so many ways. We must continue to act with purpose and embrace new, innovative solutions to ensure everyone in our state can find and afford a safe, stable place to live. The legislation being celebrated today represents the important steps we have taken together and the hard work that so many advocates and stakeholders are doing every day. We’re not yet there, but we’re moving in the right direction, and I am so proud to be part of that effort,” said Senator Kallman.

“Addressing Rhode Island’s housing challenges starts with bold legislation, but its success depends on strong partnerships with cities and towns,” said Secretary Goddard. “The bills being signed today equip municipalities with the tools and flexibility they need to create and preserve more homes, streamline permitting, and build vibrant, inclusive communities. As Secretary of Housing, I am proud to support Rhode Island communities as they use these new tools and policies to create safe, affordable homes for Rhode Islanders across the state.”

“Our community is feeling the deep impact of the housing shortage in Providence,” said Mayor Smiley. “My Administration is taking a multi-faceted approach to address this, from adopting new zoning regulations to streamlining city review processes, while investing over $55 million to create and preserve affordable housing in every neighborhood. I want to thank Governor Dan McKee, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, and our legislative partners for their support as we work collaboratively on innovative, comprehensive solutions to make building houses faster and easier, ensuring every Providence neighbor has access to a safe and affordable home.”

“A complex problem like the housing crisis requires innovative solutions and continued and sustained investments from all levels of government, and we are thankful to the House and Senate for passing this critical legislation, and to Governor McKee signing these critically needed pieces of legislation,” said Bleau. “Our Sheridan Small Homes Development is a perfect example of what is possible when nonprofit developers have the resources needed to pilot creative solutions, here producing five deed-restricted, affordable, single-family homes that were sold to first-time homebuyers.”

All six bills will go into effect on January 1, 2026.