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6/12/2026
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Assembly passes four housing bills
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STATE HOUSE – This week, the General Assembly passed multiple housing bills, including new laws to establish maximum parking requirements for multifamily housing in areas accessible by public transit, enable cities and towns to allow Supportive and Functional Emergency units (“SAFE Units,” such as pallet shelters) on a temporary basis during a declaration of an emergency, make technical amendments to existing legislation, and establish a commission to study and review the state’s Condominium Act.
The first bill, 2026-H 8005A/2026-S 3303, sponsored by Representative Joshua J. Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls) and Senator Meghan E. Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence), would establish maximum parking requirements for multifamily housing in areas accessible by public transit. It follows initiatives in other states in reducing parking requirements.
The next bill, 2026-H 8001A/2026-S 3301, sponsored by former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) and Senate Committee on Housing & Municipal Government Chair Jacob E. Bissaillon (D-Dist. 1, Providence), would enable cities and towns to allow Supportive and Functional Emergency units (“SAFE Units,” such as pallet shelters) on a temporary basis during a declaration of an emergency. This legislation would enable cities and towns to respond quickly in the event of severe weather and/or natural or man-made disasters. During his Speakership, Shekarchi made housing issues his top legislative priority; as a result, more than 60 new laws to address the state’s housing crisis have been enacted since 2021.
The third bill, 2026-H 8004A/2026-S 3302, sponsored by Representative Robert E. Craven, Sr. (D-Dist. 32, North Kingstown) and Chair Bissaillon, is based on feedback received by the Special Legislative Commission to Study Land Use, the Rhode Island League of Cities & Towns, and various stakeholders, including local municipalities, developers, planners, and other advocates. The legislation seeks to clarify and amend the processes, terms, references, and requirements set forth in the Zoning Enabling Act, Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Act, and Subdivision Act.
The fourth bill, 2026-H 8008A/2026-S 2906A, sponsored by House Commission on Housing Affordability Chair June S. Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol) and Senator Bridget Valverde (D-Dist. 35, North Kingstown, East Greenwich, South Kingstown), would establish a commission to study potential modernization of and updates to the state’s Condominium Act, which has not been reviewed or amended in more than a decade.
All four pieces of legislation, which were part of the House’s 2026 housing package, now head to the governor for consideration.
For more information, contact:
Emily Martineau, Deputy Director of Communications for the Office of the Speaker
State House Room 323
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2466
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