Housing

in committee · Rhode Island · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 2031: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

Increases the income range up to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and tax credit up to eight hundred fifty dollars ($850), for elderly and disabled persons who own or rent their homes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides targeted tax relief (increased credit up to $850) for elderly/disabled homeowners, aligning with tax relief for lower/middle income groups.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProvides tax credit for elderly/disabled renters/homeowners, reducing housing costs and increasing affordability for vulnerable groups.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Credits Property Taxes Renters

Track

died · Rhode Island · House Apr 6, 2026

HB 7226: AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND HOUSING AND MORTGAGE FINANCE CORPORATION

Expands Rhode Island Housing’s authority to revise the qualified allocation plan to prioritize cost-efficient affordable housing production and total units, while reducing the scoring weight of non-production-related criteria.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingExpands authority to prioritize affordable housing production and reduces non-production criteria, directly advancing affordable housing goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Mortgages

Track

died · Rhode Island · Senate May 28, 2026

SB 2028: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- SALES AND USE TAXES -- LIABILITY AND COMPUTATION

SB 2028 imposes a tiered sales tax on digital advertising services sold within Rhode Island, affecting large digital advertising companies based on their global revenue (2.5% for $100M-$1B revenue, 5% for $1B-$5B, 7.5% for $5B-$15B). The tax revenue will be distributed annually to specific state funds: 10% to public transit (RIPTA), 15% to climate resiliency, 5% to university research, 20% to housing, 10% to school lunches, 20% to municipal resilience, and 20% to the general fund. The tax applies to purchases of digital ads within Rhode Island and takes effect on July 1, 2026. It does not allow companies to add the tax as a separate fee on customer invoices but requires clear disclosure of the amount.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes tiered tax on digital ads to fund public transit, housing, school lunches, and climate programs, directly allocating revenue to state priorities per bill summary.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates 10% of tax revenue to school lunches, directly funding K-12 meal programs per bill's distribution formula.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAllocates 15% of tax revenue to climate resiliency, directly funding environmental protection initiatives per bill summary.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill allocates 20% of tax revenue specifically to housing programs, directly funding housing initiatives without restrictions or opposition indicators.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill allocates 10% of tax revenue to RIPTA (public transit), directly funding transportation infrastructure per bill summary.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue Sales Tax State Budget Higher Education Public Transit

Track

died · Rhode Island · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 7148: AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- REHABILITATION BUILDING AND FIRE CODE FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES

Expands the Rhode Island rehabilitation and fire code to include existing one, two, and three-bedroom homes, removing their current exclusion and promoting the continued use and reuse of existing residential buildings.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRemoves exclusion of small homes from rehabilitation code, promoting reuse of existing housing. This supports affordable housing by enabling rehabilitation of more units without new construction.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Building Codes

Track

passed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 9, 2026

SB 2269: AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- HOUSING MAINTENANCE AND OCCUPANCY CODE -- NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS

Requires a housing code enforcement officer to give a copy of any housing code violation notice to all tenants of the building affected by an alleged housing code violation, along with any hearing dates scheduled for the violation.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires housing code violation notices to be given to all tenants, strengthening tenant rights and transparency in enforcement procedures.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Building Codes Tenant Rights

Track

died · Rhode Island · Senate May 7, 2026

SB 2262: AN ACT RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT

Requires effective January 1, 2027, that upon the execution of a lease agreement for a mobile and manufactured homes in a mobile and manufactured home park, a complete copy of the lease be provided to the tenant within ten (10) days of execution.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingMandates lease transparency for mobile home tenants, strengthening tenant rights and housing protections under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Tenant Rights

Track

died · Rhode Island · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 2294: AN ACT RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT -- JUST CAUSE EVICTIONS

SB 2294 would require landlords to have a valid "just cause" reason to evict most residential tenants in Rhode Island, rather than allowing evictions without justification at the end of a lease term. It prohibits evictions for reasons like arbitrary tenant preferences, and specifies acceptable grounds such as non-payment of rent (unless the increase was unreasonable), lease violations, or property damage. The law applies to most rental housing, excluding owner-occupied buildings with fewer than four units, sublet properties where the sublessor needs the space, and job-site housing. This bill directly affects renters and landlords under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, aiming to prevent arbitrary displacement.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingMandates just cause for evictions, protecting tenants from arbitrary removal and strengthening tenant rights in housing policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

Track

died · Rhode Island · Senate May 5, 2026

SR 2252: JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $75,000 FOR THE JEWISH COLLABORATIVE SERVICES

This bill (SR 2252) is a joint resolution appropriating $75,000 from the state treasury to Jewish Collaborative Services (JCS) for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The funds will support JCS’s existing programs providing culturally specific services, including food assistance (like Rhode Island’s only kosher pantry), senior meals, housing support, and resources for underserved groups such as low-income families, immigrants, seniors, and people with disabilities. The resolution directly affects JCS, which serves all Rhode Islanders in need regardless of religion, and aims to sustain their community-wide support services. This is a funding allocation, not a new policy, with no additional requirements or changes to existing laws.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $75,000 from state treasury to fund JCS's essential services for underserved groups, directly advancing government spending on public programs.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingFunds housing support services via JCS, explicitly listed in summary as a program beneficiary, aligning with funding housing programs indicator.90% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill funds JCS services explicitly supporting immigrants as a targeted group, including housing and food assistance for underserved communities.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

Track

died · Rhode Island · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 7130: AN ACT RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT

HB 7130 modifies the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act by allowing tenants to pay an increased security deposit in monthly installments over 12 months instead of paying the full amount upfront. This provision directly affects residential tenants in rental properties where landlords seek to raise security deposits. The key mechanism is the structured payment plan, replacing a single lump-sum requirement with smaller, manageable monthly payments. The bill focuses on easing financial burdens for tenants facing higher deposit demands without altering the deposit amount itself.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingAllows tenants to pay security deposits in monthly installments, easing upfront financial burdens and strengthening tenant protections under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

Track

signed · Rhode Island · Senate Jun 24, 2026

SB 2039: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION

SB 2039 exempts AS220's real and tangible personal property located in Providence from property taxes. This bill amends Rhode Island's property tax code to add AS220 to the list of entities qualifying for tax exemptions. The exemption directly affects AS220's properties in Providence, removing their tax liability under the state's existing exemption framework.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill exempts AS220's property from taxes, reducing state revenue and creating a tax break, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of tax cuts.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingExempts AS220's housing properties from taxes, reducing operational costs for affordable housing provider.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Property Taxes