Allows the town of Smithfield 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 town of Smithfield, Rhode Island counts certain types of housing toward its affordable housing requirements. Specifically, it would allow Smithfield to count manufactured homes (sometimes called mobile homes) located in age-restricted communities — meaning housing developments limited to older residents — as half of an affordable housing unit when calculating how much affordable housing the town has.

Under Rhode Island's current affordable housing law, communities are expected to maintain a certain percentage of affordable housing units. This bill would give Smithfield partial "credit" toward that requirement for manufactured homes in age-restricted communities, as long as those homes follow all of the town's zoning rules and local ordinances. Instead of counting as a full unit, each qualifying home would count as one-half of a unit toward the town's affordable housing total.

This bill primarily affects Smithfield as a municipality and, indirectly, residents who live in or may seek housing in manufactured home communities within the town. It could influence how Smithfield plans for and reports its affordable housing inventory to the state. The bill has been introduced and referred to the Senate Housing and Municipal Government committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.