2023 -- H 6281
========
LC002815
========
S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
____________
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RIHOUSING
Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Speakman, Place, Kennedy,
Fellela, Cortvriend, Bennett, Spears, and Potter
Date Introduced: April 18, 2023
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, RIHousing, established by the Rhode Island General Assembly, is a self-1
supporting, quasi-public agency chartered with the mission of assisting every Rhode Islander in 2
their quest to buy, rent, build and keep homes. Over the past five decades, RIHousing’s work has 3
taken many forms and has strived to be responsive to the needs of Rhode Islanders; and 4
WHEREAS, RIHousing was created in order to address Rhode Island’s widespread and 5
critical housing issues. One tool utilized is the issuance of tax-exempt bonds to finance affordable 6
housing developments and affordable single-family mortgages; and 7
WHEREAS, Since the launch of its First Homes mortgage program in 1987, that made 8
owning a home more affordable for first-time home buyers, RIHousing has helped more than 9
85,000 first-time home buyers and has provided $8 billion in mortgage financing. In addition, 10
RIHousing has financed the development or preservation of more than 24,000 affordable homes 11
and apartments; and 12
WHEREAS, In 1991, RIHousing began administering the Housing Choice Voucher 13
Program, a federal program designed to help eligible households find safe housing. Since its 14
inception, the program has grown rapidly and today is available in 19 communities; and 15
WHEREAS, In 2012, in the midst of a major recession, RIHousing launched the Hardest 16
Hit Fund RI, a federally-funded national program that provided assistance to Rhode Islanders in 17
order to prevent foreclosure on their homes; and 18
WHEREAS, In 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, RIHousing started 19
RentReliefRI, a federally-funded program that provided rental and utility assistance to tenants 20
LC002815 - Page 2 of 2
facing financial hardships due to the pandemic. This program provided $275 million in assistance 1
to 37,000 renter households; and 2
WHEREAS, RIHousing currently administers $50 million in funds that assist 3
homeowners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the Homeowner Assistance Fund. 4
Through March of 2023, more than 1,500 households have been helped with almost $40 million 5
through HAF-RI; and 6
WHEREAS, In 2022, the budget passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly included 7
$250 million in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) to address housing 8
and homeless issues in Rhode Island. RIHousing is administering $210 million of that resource 9
and as of the end of February, has allocated over $30 million to develop more than 1,000 units of 10
affordable housing, and to provide down payment assistance to 41 first-time homebuyers; now, 11
therefore be it 12
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 13
celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of RIHousing; and be it further 14
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 15
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to RIHousing. 16
========
LC002815
========