Vote YES on 3!
The cost of housing is rising faster than incomes, leaving workers, families, seniors, and veterans struggling to find a home or apartment they can afford, while also making ends meet.
We are known for our hammers, today we use our voice. A home shouldn’t cost anywhere near half your paycheck, yet in 2021 one in seven Rhode Island households are spending half or more of their income on housing.
Now, with so many Rhode Islanders struggling with the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding safe, affordable housing is more important than ever. By investing in housing opportunities for all Rhode Islanders we can address a housing shortage that is holding our economy back.
VOTE YES on QUESTION 3 in Rhode Island’s March 2, 2021 special election to approve a $65 million Housing and Community Opportunity Bond for the construction and rehabilitation of affordable homes and apartments across Rhode Island. Help communities revitalize neighborhoods through redevelopment, new construction, and property acquisition. Vote ‘Yes’ for homes, jobs, and Rhode Island.
Advocating for Affordable Housing
At South County Habitat for Humanity (SCHH), we advocate to change policies and systems so that we can eliminate barriers to adequate, affordable housing. Our vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
SCHH advocates for:
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Supply & Preservation of Affordable Housing
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Removing Barriers to Accessing Affordable Housing including equitably increasing access to credit
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Optimizing Land Use for Affordable Homes
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Increasing Access to, and the development of, Communities of Opportunity
Resources:
'Housing Talks'
On February 4th we hosted a virtual discussion with local affordable housing advocates focusing on the housing bond and special election on March 2nd! #Yeson3
Watch a recording of the event below!
Homes RI
Crucial, federal investments in affordable housing are failing to keep up with local needs, so South County Habitat is engaging in broad advocacy initiatives with HomesRI to persuade local and state governments to raise significant new housing resources of their own.
Communities across the country are facing shortages of safe, decent and affordable homes. In many towns and cities, these needs are growing, particularly for affordable rental housing.
Federal housing programs provide crucial resources to help local housing providers meet these challenges. For example, the HOME program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, helps providers build, repair or rehabilitate affordable owner-occupied or rental housing, while also supporting other housing activities. HUD’s Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program, or SHOP, helps nonprofit organizations that use the self-help model acquire land, purchase foreclosed or abandoned properties, and develop the infrastructure needed to build affordable homes for first-time, lower-income homeowners. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Section 502 Direct program provides fixed-rate, low-interest loans to help low- and very-low income families purchase or rehabilitate homes in rural areas.