5Q: Nicole Lagace

 / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
/ PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

1In the newly released 2015 Housing Fact Book, the data on the millennial trend to live alone or with nonrelated roommates is interesting. Does this put pressure on communities to create more multifamily housing?

It’s hard to say whether the millennial trend to live alone signals a cultural shift or if low incomes and high debt are to blame. Either way, if our younger, more diverse population cannot afford their housing today, they won’t be able to save the money needed to invest in Rhode Island through homeownership in the future. This puts more pressure on communities to have an adequate supply of housing that is affordable.

2The book states that Rhode Island has had only 5 percent growth in housing units since 2000, and almost two-thirds of that was single-family housing. Are we experiencing a lot of pent-up demand?

Since 2000, Rhode Island has had the second-smallest increase in housing units among all states. Also, our for-rent year-round vacancies were 6.1 percent in 2013, the lowest level since 2004 and lower than the national rate.

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3The age of the state’s housing stock is fourth-oldest nationally, behind New York, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. What challenges does that present?

From a health perspective, 76 percent of our housing stock was built before 1980, putting the residents of these units at risk for exposure to lead-based paint. From the economic perspective, older homes tend to be less efficient, and this contributes to higher utility costs.

4Only six communities were designated as being affordable for homebuyers who earn the median household income of $55,902. Why are the other areas so out of reach?

Since 2009, Rhode Island is one of only three states that did not increase the annual number of building permits issued, and we know the cost of construction associated with a building permit here is high. Couple this with the state’s low vacancy rate, and we see housing costs that are high relative to incomes.

5Should suburban towns and cities be doing more to construct midlevel housing?

It seems as though only the largest cities have affordability. Yes. All communities need high-quality housing that is affordable to a wide range of residents, and unfortunately, many of our workers simply can’t afford what is available on the market today. •

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