Advocates for the homeless ask the House Finance Committee to expand affordable-housing programs.

01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, May 4, 2005

BY SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
Journal State House Bureau

PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Island's housing shortage is not going away unless the state makes a strong and concerted effort to combat it.

That was the rally cry last night from advocates for the homeless and low-income Rhode Islanders as they urged the House Finance Committee to expand a host of affordable housing programs.

"Rhode Island is in the midst of a housing crisis the likes of which we have never seen," said David M. Hirsch, a member of the Rhode Island Foundation's board of directors.

The state ranks 49th in the country in per-capita housing production and costs have risen so much that the police, firefighters and teachers cannot live in the communities they serve, Hirsch said.

More than one in every 10 families, he said, spends at least half of every paycheck on shelter.

These statistics, "will only get worse unless we do something about them," Hirsch said.

The largest of the proposals -- backed by House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox -- would increase the annual funding for The Neighborhood Opportunities Program from $5 million to $7.5 million.

Governor Carcieri has proposed in his budget to keep the program at $5 million. But instead of coming straight out of the state's operating budget, Carcieri is proposing to sell bonds to finance the program.

The program was created in 2001 and since then has financed the construction or rehabilitation of 606 housing units. The program provides subsidized housing for low-income families and disabled individuals and also develops homes that can be purchased.

"By all measures, the program has been a resounding success," Fox said. "Most often, the program funded the renovation of rundown houses and apartments. It is important to note that the revitalized homes are often the nicest on the street, attractively built or renovated, well maintained and landscaped."

Since the program's inception, the state's $21.6 million in funding for the program has leveraged an additional $195 million in federal and private dollars.

However, Fox said, the program has not been able to keep up with demand, and needs to be expanded.

To justify the added expense, Fox, D-Providence, said the program will benefit the state's overall economy.

"It is difficult to retain and recruit good workers if there is no available housing," he said.

Take Westerly, where families are living in automobiles, emergency shelters and seasonal motels, according to Johanna Lockhart, who is on the board of directors of the Westerly Area Rest Meals, more commonly known as the WARM shelter.

"Children in our South County communities are being sent off to school from motel rooms without having a healthy breakfast, asked to do their homework in substandard environments and accept motel life as a standard of living," Lockhart said.

And in a few weeks, she said, they will probably be evicted in favor of more profitable tourists.

Rep. Peter L. Lewiss, D-Westerly, noted that Lockhart's examples show that the housing problem is not limited to the state's urban communities.

"It truly does affect every one of our communities in different ways," Lewiss said.

Besides more funding for the Neighborhood Opportunities Program, the Housing Works coalition is seeking $350,000 to prevent homelessness. The money would go to the Supportive Services Program, which would help people with budgeting skills, paying rent, encouraging tenant involvement in facility management, medication monitoring and management and daily living skills related to food, housekeeping and socialization.

The coalition of more than 70 businesses, government, philanthropic and community groups is also seeking $600,000 to move 60 individuals out of shelters and into rent-subsidized housing for at least two years.

The final bill in the package would provide $400,000 in a community development corporation fund, which would supplement community-based nonprofit agencies whose purpose is to provide affordable housing.