PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A new report has found that a lack of affordable housing in Rhode Island is causing statewide issues.
The Commission of Health Advocacy and Equity report illustrates that there are no communities with sufficient low- to moderate-income housing units, WPRI-TV reported Thursday. According to the report, most communities have one affordable housing unit for every five eligible households.
Joe Luca, the former president of the Rhode Island Realtors Association, said the sale price of a single-family home climbed 17% this year and access to affordable housing is projected to get worse.
“Economics 101: Supply and demand,” Luca said. “There’s a lot of demand for properties and we don’t have the supply.”
The station reports that the shortage of affordable housing is feeding a growing rate of homelessness.
United Way Rhode Island’s director of strategic initiatives, Larry Warner, said there is a homelessness crisis among students and that instability is affecting their academic success.
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