Addressing the Housing Crisis
Everyone deserves access to affordable, safe, and stable housing, and Brett has made tackling Providence’s housing crisis a core focus of his administration. He has taken a multi-pronged approach that both responds to immediate needs and lays the groundwork for long-term housing stability, recognizing that rising rents and limited housing supply are national crises with real local impacts.
Since taking office, Brett has significantly increased the City’s direct investments in affordable housing, committing tens of millions of dollars through the Affordable Housing Trust and other local and federal resources to create and preserve income-restricted homes in neighborhoods across Providence. Under his leadership, the City and its partners have built thousands of new housing units at all price points, expanding options for low-income residents, middle-class families, and seniors alike. Notable projects include:
The Flynn: A new construction project that includes a 6-story, mixed-use building on a long-vacant parcel at 220 Blackstone Street to include 178 residential units priced from deeply affordable to workforce housing coupled with ground-floor neighborhood amenities, office, and community space.
Crossroads Health & Housing: A new construction project that created a 35-unit building offering permanent supportive housing for medically vulnerable tenants at 371 Pine Street.
Sheridan Homes: A new construction of 20 units of homeownership and rental housing at 45 Sheridan Street.
New Horizons: A new construction of 22 rental units and preservation of 51 rental units of properties in the City’s West End.
Pennrose: A brand new building with 66 mixed-income rental housing units at 65 George M. Cohen Boulevard (a vacant I-195 parcel) in the City’s Fox Point neighborhood.
Pine Street, Amos House: A rehabilitation project with Amos house to return a 3-unit property to use for permanent supportive housing.
River Ave Housing for Survivors: A rehabilitation project with Sojourner House to develop a 4-unit property for permanent supportive housing for survivors of violence.
His administration launched a new, dedicated Housing and Human Services Office to more effectively coordinate services and address homelessness. And during his first term, Brett has moved more underutilized city property to market for development than any other administration in history.
Brett has also focused on making it easier and faster to build the housing Providence needs. Providence was the first city in Rhode Island to adopt new zoning rules and streamline permitting processes to encourage more housing production in every neighborhood, including affordable units and mixed-income developments. Brett's administration is working with community partners to turn vacant and underutilized properties into new homes while investing in emergency shelter beds, transitional housing, and critical provider programs to support unhoused neighbors today. Brett’s team developed and passed, with the partnership of the Providence City Council, a comprehensive zoning plan that streamlines building while preserving and protecting neighborhoods in our community.
At the same time, Brett understands that housing policy is about more than additional units - it is about stability, opportunity, and health. His administration is investing in repairs and improvements to existing housing, including public and subsidized developments, and connecting residents to home repair programs that help keep aging homes safe, healthy, and energy-efficient. By pairing affordable housing with wrap-around services like childcare, after-school programs, and access to health care, Providence is advancing a housing-first model that supports families holistically. Brett is committed to expanding pathways to homeownership, particularly for residents in in-demand sectors and first-time homebuyers, because he knows that owning a home can transform a family’s economic prospects for generations. Through these efforts, Brett is working to ensure that more Providence residents can find, and keep, a home they can afford in a neighborhood where they can thrive.
Last year, Brett’s administration published a comprehensive housing progress report, titled “Building Community Resilience through Production, Preservation, and Protection.” This report shares data, investments, and policy milestones that reflect steady progress toward a stronger, more inclusive Providence, and it provides a blueprint to continue improving access to housing in our Capital City.By improving our existing public housing and retrofitting our aging infrastructure to be more sustainable, we are prioritizing our community health and well-being. And by aggressively promoting accessory dwelling units (ADUs), we can help homeowners earn income to stay in their homes, while creating new rental units.