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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com  

AFFORDABLE HOUSING BRIEFING PLANNED FOR JAN. 18

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (DECEMBER 21, 2022) – Middletown is making strides with its commitment to expand affordable housing in the community.

During a Tuesday night meeting in Town Hall, the town’s Affordable Housing Committee approved two major projects to bring to the Town Council that could bring dozens of new affordably priced residences to Middletown.

The former Peckham School next to the town’s Senior Center at 650 Green End Ave. was discussed as one possible location. According to designs presented from affordable housing consultant Frank Spinella, the Peckham project would essentially be within the existing school footprint and feature 20 units in the two-story structure.

The other units were proposed for 26 Oliphant Lane, the property now occupied by the School Department administrative offices and tee ball fields. Under the latest proposal, up to 40 units of affordable housing would be built there, also designed to blend into the surrounding neighborhood.

The Affordable Housing Committee will brief the council about the concepts at a special Jan. 18 meeting at 6 pm from Town Hall, 350 East Main Road.

“I thought it was an excellent meeting and the drawings we saw were right on target,” council President Paul M. Rodrigues said, who serves as a council liaison to the Affordable Housing Committee along with M. Theresa Santos and Dennis Turano. “The plans for the old Peckham School seem to be a good compromise from the initial plan and what the neighbors came out and said and with the 20 units there and the 38-40 at Oliphant, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.”

Rodrigues added that affordable housing is the No. 1 topic that comes up in conversation when he’s out and about in town.

“I hear about it everywhere I go,” Rodrigues said. “One of the big things we have to do here is make sure this is true senior housing, workforce housing and affordable housing. Not something like $2,200 a month for rent. That’s not affordable for most people and it’s something we certainly need to stay focused on moving forward.”

Santos and Turano agreed, saying they were happy to see things moving to the next phase with affordable housing.

“We’re going to be moving this along and hopefully soon,” Santos said. “We’ve been talking about it for years and there are seniors out there right now who are looking to stay in Middletown and trying to find an affordable place to live — and that doesn’t even include the young people who are having a tough time. I like the plans I’ve seen and it’s good to get the ball rolling.”

“To say I’m excited about this would be an understatement,” Turano said. “We’ve been working on this for a long time and with all the projects going on, we could see 200 or 300 affordable units coming on line in the not too distant future. That’s good for our community. It’s such a problem and something everyone definitely is talking about.”

“There’s been a lot of discussion and deliberation and I think we’re at a place where all sides have been heard and the best plan has come forward,” Spinella added.

Coming into this election season, a number of candidates said that making Middletown more affordable for all to live was their top issue and the one they heard the most about while campaigning. 

For several years, Middletown officials have been considering different options and locations to create more housing for those who work in the community, whether that’s teachers, police officers, firefighters as well as those on a fixed income.

Through those discussions, the Peckham and Oliphant parcels emerged as the top options, both because of their locations and the fact they’re already town owned. In April 2022, the council voted unanimously to seek master plan designs for affordable housing at both sites.

If the projects progress, town officials have said local tax dollars will not be used to pay for the work. Rather, the cost of the affordable housing facilities will be covered through federal programs that support affordable housing in communities like Middletown.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says affordable housing is “generally defined as housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities.”

The “2021 Housing Fact Book” from Housing Works Rhode Island indicated that close to 5.2 percent of all the housing in Middletown is classified as “affordable.” In order to meet Rhode Island’s 10 percent threshold for “affordable housing,” the Fact Book said the Town would need to add more than 330 units of low- and moderate-income housing.

Rhode Island Housing data showed the average price for a two-bedroom apartment in Middletown including utilities was $1,724 in 2021. That’s up $279 from 2016, when the average price for the same unit was $1,446.

There are currently about 500 units of new housing already okayed or seeking approval to move forward. Of those, about 200 are projected to be classified “affordable” or “workforce” housing.

 According to details from the Affordable Housing Committee meeting, adjustments were needed to the latest design for the number of parking spots with the Oliphant property. Town officials also said a new location for ballfields that would be displaced by the project was also a priority. 

As for the Peckham site, town officials said Senior Center staff and patrons will be asked for input on improvements they’d like to see with that facility too. Importantly, the existing gym was remaining in place for use by the Senior Center and the community as a whole.

Moving forward, there will be a number of opportunities for the public to provide input. First, that can take place at the council level, then with the Planning Board master planning process should the project progress.

“I think we have a very strong proposal here and I know there’s a lot of excitement within our leadership circles,” Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said. “Affordable housing is definitely one of the biggest issues on the town’s plate. Now, we have to finish our designs and bring them to the council for consideration before we begin the master planning process.”

Document Link: https://www.middletownri.com/DocumentCenter/View/6498/NYCU-AH

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