H 7296Cities & Towns

Towns and Cities - Low and Moderate Income Housing - Parking Spaces

This bill allows Tiverton to require two parking spaces for affordable housing units if public transit is limited.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Jan 23, 2026Committee House Municipal Government & Housing

Plain-English Summary

This bill grants the town of Tiverton the authority to establish specific parking requirements for low- and moderate-income housing developments. Specifically, the town may mandate that developers provide two parking spaces for every studio, one-bedroom, or two-bedroom unit. This requirement can be enforced when the municipality determines that there is limited or no public transportation available in the area, or if there is a lack of off-street parking within a reasonable distance of the proposed housing units.

For younger readers

This law is for the town of Tiverton. It says that when people build new apartments that cost less money to rent or buy, they might have to build two parking spots for every apartment. The town can make this rule if there are not enough buses or trains nearby, or if there is not enough room to park cars on the street. This helps make sure that people who move into these new homes have a safe place to park their cars.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Housing DevelopersLow-Income RentersTiverton ResidentsTiverton Zoning BoardUrban Planners

Impacted communities

Tiverton

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Ensures that working-class individuals and families in areas lacking public transit have guaranteed access to parking, acknowledging that vehicle ownership is often a necessity for employment in suburban areas.
Prevents potential community conflict and resentment regarding street congestion, helping to integrate affordable housing developments more smoothly into existing neighborhoods.
Highlights the specific lack of public transportation infrastructure in the area, which could be used to advocate for improved transit services for low-income residents.
Increases the cost of construction for affordable housing developers, which may result in fewer affordable units being built or higher costs for tenants.
Reinforces car dependency and increases carbon emissions by mandating parking infrastructure rather than encouraging transit-oriented or walkable development.
Singles out low-income housing for stricter parking mandates than market-rate housing, which could be viewed as a discriminatory barrier to development.

For Conservatives

Empowers local municipal government to make zoning and planning decisions that fit the specific infrastructure capabilities of their town, rather than following a one-size-fits-all state mandate.
Protects property values and the quality of life for existing residents by preventing street overcrowding and congestion often associated with higher-density developments.
Ensures that private developers bear the cost of necessary infrastructure (parking) rather than shifting the burden of storage to public roadways.
Imposes additional government regulations and mandates on private property owners and developers, interfering with free market principles.
Increases the cost of doing business for developers, potentially stifling economic growth and construction activity in the housing sector.
Grants government officials subjective power to interpret vague terms like "reasonable proximity," which could lead to inconsistent or arbitrary enforcement against property owners.

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 5 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 45-53 of the General Laws entitled "Low and Moderate Income Housing" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 45-53-17. Tiverton low- or moderate-income housing parking spaces. The town of Tiverton may require two (2) parking spaces for each studio, one-bedroom, or two (2) bedroom low- or moderate-income housing unit upon the municipality's determination that there is limited or no local public transportation or off-street parking availability within a reasonable proximity to these low- or moderate-income housing units.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.