A couple of days ago I was feeling rotten, and so I opted to stay home, and I am glad. Not about feeling rotten, but about staying home. I took some time to catch up on most recent Phoenixes.

I want to thank columnist Doug Gablinske for his thorough and clear  presentation with respect to housing for students at Roger Williams University and lack of corrective action on the part of the university.

Housing Works seems to be a nice hide-a-way for the university. While espousing a concern for the housing affordability crisis, both its action and inaction spotlight the contrast.

Mr. Gablinske has highlighted a purchase made by the university in 2017 of a mansion, at the price of $6.7 million, on Ferry Road near its president’s house. Seven years later, with no immediate plan for its use, the university states it is still exploring potential uses. Separately, the university also stated it had no money to purchase and or offer to purchase Herreshoff property to its immediate north.

A 2022 Roger Williams University master plan update states under its “Ten Year Goals” section: “The intent to consolidate all undergraduate student housing options in university-owned property to be contained on the local campus.”

Mr. Gablinske is a a little generous, I think, in offering some wiggle room, with the town looking for money in its next PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreement. What is a university’s word? They should be immediately required to begin fulfilling their 10-year goal to consolidate all undergraduate student housing options in university-owned properties to be contained on the local campus. If not, then it seems appropriate the the legal system should be the next step.

Words, and guess whose: Our community is united by a shared passion and purpose to make positive social change and environmental impact and be the change-makers and leaders the world needs. We all soar higher, together.

If you said or answered, the current president of Roger Williams University, Ioannis Miaoulis, you are correct.

Owen E. Trainor III
1014 Hope St.