S 2587Cities & Towns

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

Tiverton may require two parking spaces for affordable housing units if nearby public transit or parking is insufficient.

Introduced

Population
Affected

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Introduced Feb 13, 2026Committee Senate Housing & Municipal Government

Plain-English Summary

This legislation specifically authorizes the town of Tiverton to mandate two parking spaces for every studio, one-bedroom, or two-bedroom housing unit classified as low- or moderate-income. The town may enforce this requirement only if it determines that there is limited or no public transportation available, or if there is a lack of off-street parking within a reasonable distance of the housing units. This serves as an exception or clarification to general zoning standards regarding affordable housing in that specific municipality.

For younger readers

This law is for a town called Tiverton. Sometimes, builders make apartments that cost less money so more people can afford to live in them. This law says that in Tiverton, the town can make the builders create two parking spots for every apartment. They can do this if there aren't enough buses or trains nearby, or if there isn't enough room to park on the street. This helps make sure that the people living there have a safe place to put their cars.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Low-income renters in TivertonHousing developersTiverton town plannersModerate-income familiesTiverton Zoning Board

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 in rural or suburban areas like Tiverton, who often rely on personal vehicles to get to work due to lack of transit, have guaranteed parking access.
Protects low-income tenants from potential fines, towing fees, or safety risks associated with having to park far away from their homes due to a lack of available off-street spots.
Acknowledges the reality of current infrastructure gaps in specific communities, ensuring that housing developments are practical and livable for residents immediately upon construction.
Increases the cost of construction for affordable housing developers, which often results in fewer affordable units being built or projects being cancelled entirely due to budget constraints.
Encourages car dependency and increases impervious surface area (pavement), which is detrimental to the environment, rather than pushing for better public transit solutions.
Could be utilized as a tool for "exclusionary zoning," where strict parking requirements are used as a barrier to prevent low-income housing from being built in certain neighborhoods.

For Conservatives

Supports the principle of local control by allowing the municipality of Tiverton to determine its own zoning needs based on local conditions rather than adhering to a statewide mandate.
Protects existing property owners and neighborhoods from street congestion and overcrowding that can occur when high-density housing is built without adequate parking infrastructure.
Ensures that private developers bear the full cost of the infrastructure required for their tenants' vehicles, rather than offloading that burden onto the public streets and taxpayers.
Imposes additional government regulations and mandates on private property developers, potentially interfering with the free market's ability to determine the most efficient use of land.
Uses subjective terms like "limited" transportation or "reasonable proximity," which grants government officials arbitrary power to delay or block legitimate business projects.
Creates a specific carve-out for one town, complicating the regulatory landscape and reducing the uniformity of laws that businesses must navigate across the state.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 5 additions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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.