Providence Plans Rent Stabilization Ordinance Amid Rapid Rent Increases

Providence is actively addressing its housing challenges with multiple initiatives. The City Council plans to introduce a rent stabilization ordinance this fall, proposing an annual rent increase cap and requiring landlords to provide 90-day notices for rent hikes, although Mayor Brett Smiley opposes this approach, favoring investments in long-term affordable housing instead. Meanwhile, Rhode Island's first tiny home community for the homeless, ECHO Village, will continue operating through at least September 2026, with ongoing maintenance and oversight to ensure shelter safety and habitability. Additionally, the city has purchased a parcel at 322 Washington Street in Federal Hill for approximately $1.7 million to develop 76 affordable housing units in partnership with Lincoln Avenue Communities, marking a new strategy of subsidizing affordable housing through land acquisition. This public-private partnership reflects a broader housing strategy aiming to increase affordable units amid rising rents and low vacancy, contrasting with the rent control measures under consideration by the City Council. These efforts signal Providence's multifaceted response to its acute housing affordability crisis.