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Affordable Housing Assistance in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Housing is a statewide public housing agency focused on creating and preserving affordable owner-occupied and rental housing in Rhode Island. The agency offers below-market interest rate loans and home-buyer education classes for first-time home buyers. To encourage homeownership, the agency offers special financing options for home buyers purchasing homes in certain targeted communities within the state.

Rhode Island Housing provides a number of loan programs and services to existing homeowners to assist them in maintaining and retaining their homes. The agency also oversees the management of a number of affordable rental apartments for low-income senior citizens and families, and for persons with disabilities.

Rhode Island Housing offers loan products and services that can be used by participating lenders to increase access to affordable housing. The agency also issues single-family and multifamily taxable and tax-exempt bonds and administers the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, HOME, and Section 8 Voucher programs.

For more information, call Rhode Island Housing at (401) 457-1234, or visit the Web site.

KeepSpace Communities Initiative
Rhode Island Housing, the state affordable housing agency, recently introduced a KeepSpace Communities Initiative to address affordable housing needs in the state. The initiative is a sustainable housing development program designed to encourage the creation of environmentally friendly, mixed-use and mixed-income communities. Rhode Island Housing dedicated $10 million to this initiative. This investment will be combined with other funding programs and serve as a mechanism to help spur funding of potential developments.

Rhode Island Housing is seeking proposals for up to five models of KeepSpace Communities that increase the supply of affordable homes, are ecologically based and economically sound, and promote alternative transportation and energy and water resources conservation. The funded developments will serve as models for future projects. The initiative is designed to encourage partnerships among developers, government agencies, nonprofits, and funders in creating affordable and economically sustainable communities throughout Rhode Island.

For more information about the KeepSpace Communities Initiative, e-mail Joe Voccio (jvoccio@rihousing.com) at Rhode Island Housing or call him at (401) 457-1284 or e-mail Tony A'Vant (tavant@rihousing.com) or call him at (401) 457-1103.
[Published in News from the Districts, Community Developments, Spring 2008]