Amends the current law on low-income housing to include moderate-income housing and eliminates the income percentages used to determine qualifications for low or moderate income housing.

Rhode Island Senate Bill: Low and Moderate Income Housing

This bill proposes changes to Rhode Island's existing laws about affordable housing. Currently, the law focuses specifically on "low-income housing" and uses specific income percentages to determine who qualifies for that housing. This bill would expand the law to also cover "moderate-income housing," broadening the scope of who and what types of housing are addressed under state law.

The bill also removes the specific income percentage thresholds that are currently used to decide whether someone qualifies as low- or moderate-income for housing purposes. This means the fixed numerical guidelines that define income limits would no longer be written directly into state law. It is not yet clear from the bill's description what would replace those percentages — that detail would likely be determined through other rules or regulations.

This bill could affect a wide range of Rhode Islanders, including renters, homebuyers, and housing developers. People who earn somewhat more than what is traditionally considered "low income" — but who still struggle to afford housing — might be included under the updated definition of moderate-income housing. Housing developers and municipalities could also see changes in how affordable housing projects are planned and approved under state rules.

The bill was introduced in the Rhode Island Senate and referred to the Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee, with a hearing scheduled for April 9, 2026. It is still in the early stages of the legislative process, meaning it has not yet been voted on or signed into law.