Authorizes the town of North Providence, if an aggregate of two hundred fifty (250) or more units should be proposed in comprehensive permit project(s), to enact an emergency moratorium until the permit requirement of § 45-53-4 are amended.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would give the town of North Providence a special legal tool to temporarily pause certain affordable housing development projects under specific circumstances. Under Rhode Island's existing law, developers can apply for a "comprehensive permit" to build low- and moderate-income housing, which allows them to bypass some local zoning rules in communities that don't have enough affordable housing. This bill would allow North Providence to declare an emergency halt — called a moratorium — on those permits if the total number of housing units proposed through these applications reaches 250 or more at one time.

The moratorium would stay in place until the state updates the rules governing how these comprehensive permits work under Rhode Island law (specifically Section 45-53-4). Essentially, the bill gives North Providence a "pause button" if it feels overwhelmed by the volume of affordable housing applications coming in at once, allowing the town time to wait for the state to potentially change the rules before approving more projects.

This bill primarily affects housing developers who want to build affordable housing in North Providence, as well as current and future residents of the town. Developers could face delays in getting their projects approved, while residents could see a slowdown in new affordable housing being built in their community. The bill has been referred to the Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.