"One idea that was particularly popular with voters was the idea of allowing more homes to be built in commercial districts near existing businesses, utilities and public transit access," Claudia Wack, president of Neighbors Welcome, said at the news conference. "So think about main street districts or mixed-use zones, which we have a lot of historical examples of in our cities and our village centers."

Flaherty said Neighbors Welcome RI is focused on advocating for policies that will produce more homes of all types, and on establishing pro-housing organizations at the local level.  

He points out that when housing developments are proposed in communities, reaction tends to come only from residents who are against them.

Neighbors Welcome RI supports mixed-use zoning, a way of encouraging commercial and residential uses together. According to Flaherty, on Thursday, a new bill requiring municipalities to designate a portion of commercial land to accommodate mixed uses will be heard.

"We support it because it is a common-sense way to allow for private investment in so many Main Street-type districts across the state that need investments and that local zoning doesn't allow for," Flaherty said. 

Rhode Islanders are collectively voicing their concerns about the high cost of housing.

A new survey by the housing advocacy group Neighbors Welcome! RI shows that 57% of respondents think the ongoing housing crisis is the biggest issue facing the state. 

“We’ve got a pretty big hole to dig ourselves out of,” said Claudia Wack, president of Neighbors Welcome! RI.

The survey includes some sobering findings. 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — As State House committee lawmakers prepare to vote on another round of housing reform, a new poll shows Rhode Islanders still see housing as the state’s top issue.

Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island, an organization advocating for more housing in the state, released the poll on Tuesday. The poll found that of 602 Rhode Island voters, 57% ranked housing costs as the state’s top issue, with 39% saying inflation was their highest concern.

According to the organization, the poll was conducted online by YouGov between Feb. 21 and March 5, 2025, with the sample selected to be representative of registered voters in terms of gender, age, race, education, and political affiliation.

PROVIDENCE – A majority of Rhode Islanders believe there isn’t enough affordable housing in their communities, according to results of a new poll commissioned by Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island released Tuesday.

The cost of housing is far and away the most important issue to Rhode Island voters, according to a just-released poll from a newish advocacy group called Neighbors Welcome! RI.

The survey of 602 registered voters conducted between Feb. 21 and March 5, found that 57 percent of voters believe housing is the biggest issue in the state. Inflation was second at 39 percent, followed by homelessness at 27 percent, health care costs at 23 percent, and taxes at 20 percent.

Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Rhode Islanders say that there are too few homes in their community that average people can afford, according to a new poll commissioned by Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island (Neighbors Welcome) and conducted by YouGov Blue, which surveyed 602 registered voters between February 21st and March 5th, 2025. More than half of respondents (57%) identified the cost of housing as the most important issue facing the state today–more than any other issue by a significant margin. 

In addition, the poll reveals the level of public support for various policy strategies to accelerate housing production and address the housing shortage.

Claudia Wack and Greg Miller, Guest columnists

Rhode Island’s housing shortage won’t be solved overnight, but with sustained effort and smart policy changes, it is a challenge we can overcome. The solution is ultimately simple: we must build more homes.

Local housing costs are rising because there are simply not enough homes to meet demand. As inventory tightens, competition goes up, and so do prices. Rhode Island builds significantly fewer homes than the national average; since 2020, cities and towns have issued only 6,218 residential construction permits for a population of over one million people. As a result, the Providence metropolitan area (which includes all five of the state's counties) has consistently seen among the nation’s highest increases in asking rent, outpacing major cities like New York and Boston. During the same period, regions that support new housing construction have seen prices fall.