Woonsocket Radio News Room

House passes Rep. Baginski’s bill allowing vacant school and municipal buildings to be repurposed as affordable housing

 

            STATE HOUSE – The House of Representatives today passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Jacquelyn Baginski (D-Dist. 17, Cranston) which would allow the repurposing of vacant and unused school and municipal buildings for affordable housing.

            “The significant lack of affordable housing in our state is an issue that negatively affects thousands of Rhode Islanders and it is a problem that has far reaching consequences for every aspect of our society.  This bill will serve as an innovative solution to address a portion of this troubling crisis by not only providing extremely-needed affordable housing, but also by enhancing our neighborhoods and communities by refurbishing and repurposing vacant and unsightly municipal properties,” said Representative Baginski.

            The legislation (2022-H 7943A) establishes the repurposing of schools and other vacant and unused municipal buildings for an affordable housing program, which shall be administered by the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation.

            It requires the League of Cities and Towns to provide Rhode Island Housing with a list of all vacant and unused municipal buildings.  The bill also requires the Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission and the Rhode Island Division of Statewide Planning to investigate, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Management, the Department of Health, a Fire Marshall, the local building inspector, and the local zoning officer, any potential conversion.

            Once a building is determined to be appropriate for conversion, Rhode Island Housing shall invite prospective developers to bid on the repurposing.

            The legislation is part of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) legislative package that aims to streamline development, provide more complete and timely information about housing and help municipalities meet their affordable housing goals.

            The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

 

TikTok faces a ban in the U.S. A Senate bill tied to a broader foreign aid package expected to clear the chamber tonight. The legislation would force TikTok's China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban from U.S. devices and networks.        FBI Director Christopher Wray is disputing Donald Trump's promise to investigate his political rivals. The former President has vowed to order the Department of Justice to investigate his opponents if he wins the 2024 election. On Tuesday, NBC News spoke with Wray, who said he wouldn't allow his agents to conduct any investigation that doesn't comply with the FBI's rules, procedures, best practices, or core values.       Pro-Palestinian protests are growing on college campuses around the country. Demonstrators at Columbia University say they want the Ivy League school to divest from companies they say profit from Israel's violations of international law and Palestinian rights. Police made arrests at Yale and New York University yesterday as some protests turned violent.        A nationwide search is underway for a former police officer accused of killing his ex-wife and underage girlfriend in Washington state. That's according to the New York Post. Elias Huizar is accused of killing his ex Amber Rodriguez at the elementary school where she worked on Monday and a second victim, identified as a 17-year-old he had been dating. The alleged murders took place on the same day Huizar was set to appear in court for allegedly raping two 16-year old girls.       The NBA Playoffs continue with three games tonight. First, the Phoenix Suns will take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota in game two of their series. The Timberwolves currently hold a one-to-nothing series lead. Then, the Indiana Pacers will take on the Milwaukee Bucks for game two. The Bucks lead that series one-game-to-zero. Lastly, the Dallas Mavericks will look to avoid going down two-games-to-none against the Clippers in Los Angeles in game two of their series.       A new Johnny Cash album is coming out more than two decades after his death. Universal Music is issuing "Songwriter," a collection of 11 previously unreleased demos the country legend recorded in 1993. According to "Variety," all of them are self-written originals by Johnny Cash.        

Old News Archives