House lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday that would legalize the construction of accessory apartments in residential neighborhoods.
The measure was approved by a vote of 55-to-9.
If approved, the bill would eliminate the requirement that so-called "granny flats" may only be used by relatives of the property owner.
“One of the drivers of our housing crisis is the low construction rate in Rhode Island. Our state has the lowest per-capita construction rate in the whole country. We need to be creative and be willing to allow construction of housing, particularly affordable, moderate and small units like ADUs,” said Chairwoman Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol). “ADUs are an excellent option because they are generally affordable to build and to rent. Because they are small and often can be created without even altering the footprint of the existing building, they don’t change the character of their neighborhood. They are mutually beneficial to the renter and the homeowner, who can use the rental income to make their own homeownership more affordable. ADUs can allow seniors to age in place, close to their families. We should be encouraging development of ADUs, because they offer another housing option for Rhode Islanders and a relatively simple way to make more units available in the near term and help ease the housing crunch in Rhode Island.”
The measure also covers new units within an existing building and detached units.
This bill died in the Senate last year.
(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Klein Financial)