Shekarchi Unveils Latest Set of Housing Bills Amid State Push for 15,000 New Units

Shekarchi unveils latest package of bills to boost housing production • Rhode Island Current

Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi is making housing his top legislative priority for the sixth consecutive year. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)State lawmakers are taking a modest approach to encourage new home construction across Rhode Island: Only nine bills, down from 12 last year, will be introduced by House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi as part of the chamber’s 2026 legislative package. The legislation unveiled du…

R.I. House Speaker Shekarchi unveils sixth package of bills to ease housing crisis - The Boston Globe

“Our advocacy is working,” Shekarchi said in a statement. “But building takes time, and we are still trying to play catch-up for all the years that Rhode Island was dead last in the country for new housing starts.”

Shekarchi unveils latest set of housing bills amid state push for 15,000 new units

The legislative package comes as gubernatorial Democratic rivals Dan McKee and Helena Foulkes are backing their own housing plans.