Question: Do you support the state legislation calling for the repurposing of vacant and unused school buildings for affordable housing?

District 32, Senate

Pam Lauria (D) — “Every individual deserves safe, affordable housing. As a member of Barrington’s Housing Board of Trustees, I am concerned about the too few affordable housing opportunities for Barrington’s young adults, income-limited seniors, and low-income residents. Barrington has no plans to abandon school buildings, but needs more strategies to increase housing.”

Rhonda Holmes (R) — “I do not support it. Even if every unused school in the state was converted it would make no material impact on the underlying problem. We need to work with our local communities to solve this challenge — not remove the local control our town needs in order to operate properly.”

District 66, House

Sam Read (I) — “This type of decision should be made by municipalities and voters. The people that live in a community should have a say in what happens to the land around them. So no, I do not support this legislation as it allows the State to take control over a community.”

Jennifer Boylan (D) — “All municipalities have the right to determine what they do with their own property. Even with this new law, municipalities still maintain full control of their properties with zero obligation to redevelop. In light of our statewide housing shortage, this law is one way to increase housing stock in RI.”

District 67, House

Jason Knight (D) — “This legislation helps RI towns convert abandoned school buildings to affordable housing. When a town identifies a property, the state works with developers to come up with proposals for the town to consider ONLY if the town chooses to do so. The town never loses control. I support the legislation.”

Scott Fuller (R) — “I unequivocally oppose relinquishing local control over town property to the State Housing Czar, and the RI Dept of Education. They, along with the current School Committee, its surrogate Kaestle Boos and our state delegation, have schemed to destroy our neighborhood schools and repurpose town property for their own interests.”