Requires single-family residential zoning in municipalities with populations of over forty-thousand (40,000) to allow middle housing and mandates that those municipalities adopt zoning regulations for middle housing.

Rhode Island Middle Housing Bill: Plain-English Summary

This bill would require larger Rhode Island cities and towns — those with populations over 40,000 people — to change their local zoning rules to allow what's called "middle housing" in areas currently zoned only for single-family homes. Middle housing refers to smaller multi-unit residential buildings like duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and small apartment buildings that fall between a single-family house and a large apartment complex. Under this bill, these communities would not only have to *allow* middle housing, but would also be required to formally adopt local zoning regulations specifically addressing it.

The municipalities most directly affected would be Rhode Island's larger communities, such as Providence, Cranston, Warwick, and Pawtucket, among others that meet the 40,000-resident threshold. Homeowners, developers, and renters in these communities would all be affected. Homeowners in single-family neighborhoods could see new types of housing built nearby. Developers and builders would have new options for what they can construct on residential land. Renters and prospective homebuyers could potentially benefit from a wider variety of housing options becoming available.

Currently, this bill has been referred to the Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee, which has recommended it be held for further study, with a hearing scheduled for April 2026. This means the bill has not yet advanced and lawmakers are still evaluating it before deciding whether to move it forward.