Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Housing commission to meet

 

 

STATE HOUSE – The Special Commission to Study the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act will meet tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 1 p.m. in the House Lounge on the second floor of the State House.

On the agenda is a presentation by United Way of Rhode Island of recommendations for potential legislative changes to the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. The presentation will be made by Cortney M. Nicolato, United Way of Rhode Island president and CEO; Kristina Brown, United Way Program Officer/ Housing & Economic Policy; and Claudia Wack, associate at Klein Hornig LLP.

The meeting will be live streamed at http://rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx, and will be televised on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox Channels 15 and 61, in high definition on Cox Channel 1061, on Full Channel on Channel 15 and on Channel 34 by Verizon subscribers.

The commission, led by Rep. June S. Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol), is studying barriers to affordable housing creation and identify ways to help cities and towns meet their obligations under the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act to ensure that at least 10 percent of their housing stock qualifies as affordable.

Besides Chairwoman Speakman, the commission includes House Minority Leader Michael W. Chippendale (R-Dist. 40, Foster, Glocester, Coventry), Rhode Island Foundation President and CEO Neil Steinberg,  ONE Neighborhood Builders President and Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins, Grow Smart Rhode Island Executive Director Scott Wolf, Pawtucket Central Falls Development Corporation Executive Director Linda Weisinger,  Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness Executive Director Caitlin Frumerie, Rhode Island Association of Realtors Government Affairs Director David Salvatore,  Rhode Island Builders Vice President David Caldwell, Housing Network of Rhode Island/Community Housing Land Trust of Rhode Island Executive Director Melina Lodge,  Rhode Island Housing Executive Director Carol Ventura, Robert Marshall of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council, Glocester Town Planner Karen Scott, Providence Department of Planning Director Community Development Emily Freedman, Barrington Tax Assessor Ken Mallette and Jongsung Kim of the Bryant University Department of Economics.

 

President Trump says the tariffs imposed on other countries are having the desired effect, and he's now open to negotiations. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said his initial tariff plan is over, and he's watching it settle in. He said every country has called, asking to cut a trade deal with the U.S. to avoid the tariffs.        Stocks are closing sharply lower one day after President Trump announced sweeping global tariffs. The S&P 500 had its worse day since 2020 as the White House announced a baseline tariff rate of ten-percent against most countries yesterday that will go into effect on Saturday. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 16-79 to 40-545. The S&P 500 lost 274 points to 53-96. The Nasdaq lost 10-50 points to 16-550.        A multi-day severe weather event is unfolding for more than 55-million people. It comes after at least seven people were killed in the South Central U.S. after storms that included several tornadoes hit the region yesterday. Tonight, there is still a tornado threat for the same areas, but forecasters warn there could also be potentially catastrophic flooding in the Mid-South and Midwest.        The Federal Aviation Administration is offering more support to air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport. The Critical Incident Stress Management team will be meeting with airport personnel sometime early this month. The FAA is also reviewing the arrival rate at the airport and will conduct regular wellness checks.        The Senate has confirmed Dr. Mehmet Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The television personality was confirmed on a party-line vote of 53-45. Oz now assumes a role that provides health insurance to roughly 160 million Americans.        Steven Spielberg and George Lucas top the latest Forbes list of celebrity billionaires. The latest Forbes ranking of the world's wealthiest people includes 18 celebrities, with film director Steven Spielberg topping the list at five-point-three-billion dollars. Star Wars creator George Lucas is in second place with a net worth of five-point-one-billion dollars.       

Old News Archives