Neighbors Welcome! Honors Legislators For Their Work On Housing Affordability
STATE HOUSE — Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island honored House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, Rep. June S. Speakman and Sen. Meghan E. Kallman for their work to improve housing affordability and access Monday.
“I am passionate about housing because it’s the foundation for all positive outcomes in a person’s life,” said Speaker Shekarchi (D-Dist 23, Warwick). “I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made in the General Assembly to tackle Rhode Island’s housing crisis. Working together, we have passed nearly 50 new housing laws, and we are starting to see real results: permits for new development are rising! I am honored to be recognized by Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island, a grassroots advocacy organization with a mission to make abundant housing options available in every city and town, for residents at every stage of life.”
Speaker Shekarchi has championed housing affordability during his time in House leadership, championing packages of housing reform laws in the last four legislative sessions aimed to accelerate the production of Rhode Island’s housing stock and make housing more affordable for Rhode Islanders.
“I am very grateful to Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island for this honor and for its dedication to the mission of safe, affordable housing for every single Rhode Islander,” said Representative Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol). “I stand with Neighbors Welcome! in the firm conviction that our state and our communities must work earnestly, collaboratively and expeditiously to develop the housing that our population very desperately needs. Neighbors Welcome! is a great partner in training citizens to advocate and find the solutions that enable development, and I appreciate their work in bringing neighbors to the table to collaborate on the common goal of ensuring that everyone has the home they need.”
Said Senator Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence), “I’m humbled to receive this award and energized by the commitment shown by Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island and the other honorees to tackle our state’s affordable housing issues directly and locally. To build an affordable Rhode Island we must continue to work collaboratively across the state to find innovative solutions to this urgent problem. I want to thank my colleagues in the General Assembly for keeping this issue in the spotlight and look forward to continuing this important work into the upcoming session.”
Providence City Councilor Miguel Sanchez was also honored as a Local Champion and Providence Urbanists Network received the Advocacy Cup for their work promoting affordable housing at the statewide level.
Neighbors Welcome! Rhode Island is a non-profit affordable housing advocacy group that advocates for policy changes to allow more homes to be built in order to achieve their goal of affordable and attainable housing for all Rhode Islanders.