Allows the town of Johnston to receive a one-half (1/2) credit for affordable housing units for manufactured homes in age restricted communities in conformance with all zoning laws and/or ordinances of the town.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would change how the state counts certain types of housing when measuring whether the town of Johnston is meeting Rhode Island's affordable housing requirements. Specifically, it would allow manufactured homes (sometimes called mobile homes) located in age-restricted communities — meaning communities limited to older residents, typically seniors — to count as half of an affordable housing unit toward Johnston's state-required affordable housing total, as long as those homes follow all of the town's local zoning laws and rules.

Rhode Island law requires that at least 10% of a community's housing stock qualify as affordable housing. Towns that fall short of this threshold can face challenges from developers who want to bypass local zoning rules to build more housing. By allowing Johnston to count these manufactured homes in senior communities as partial credit toward its affordable housing goal, this bill would help the town get closer to meeting that 10% requirement.

This bill primarily affects the town of Johnston and its residents, particularly seniors living in manufactured home communities. It could also affect local officials and planners who track affordable housing numbers, as well as developers who operate or plan to build in Johnston. It's worth noting that this benefit would apply specifically to Johnston and would not automatically extend to other Rhode Island towns or cities.