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.

 

A man has set himself on fire outside the Donald Trump hush-money trial. Police rushed to the scene with blankets and fire extinguishers. It's unclear if the person survived. It happened in the designated "protest area" and the person remains motionless.        Opening statements could begin as soon as Monday in former President Trump's hush money trial. All 12 jurors and a panel of six alternatives wrapped up in New York City today. The panel will decide the fate of the first ex-president in American history to stand trial on criminal charges.        More conservatives are backing the effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson. Arizona Republican Paul Gosar announced today he's supporting the motion to vacate Johnson put forward by Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. The move by Gosar comes as the House is advancing a 95-billion dollar package of military assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.        More anti-Israel protests are taking place at Columbia University this afternoon. Yesterday, the NYPD confirmed that 114 arrests were made yesterday after school officials called in police. Officers cleared out demonstrations that were camping out on the school's south lawn. Mayor Eric Adams said the school's students have a proud history of protests, but they're not allowed to trespass.        The final two spots in the NBA Playoffs will be locked up today. The Miami Heat will play host to the Chicago Bulls in a battle for the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference. In other Play-In Tournament action, the New Orleans Pelicans will welcome De'Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings to the Big Easy for the final spot in the West.        "American Idol" star Mandisa is dead at 47. Her father confirmed her death to TMZ, saying it was unexpected and shocking. The 2014 Grammy winner and Gospel singer was found dead in her Nashville home, but there's no news yet of the cause of death.