At tonight’s meeting of the Providence City Council, councilors formally received the Housing Crisis Task Force 2025 Report, a deeply-researched legislative blueprint for addressing the city’s housing affordability crisis. Also at tonight’s meeting, councilors granted the first of two required passages to an ordinance which would authorize the financing, purchase, and distribution of new residential trash and recycling bins for the entire city.

The Housing Crisis Task Force (HCTF) has worked for the past two years to develop and recommend a wide range of legislative solutions available to the city council to take on the city’s worsening housing challenges from every possible angle: by expanding housing supply, better regulating an out-of-control rental market, strengthening tenant protections, and expanding emergency shelters and homelessness support services.

“The Housing Crisis Task Force, under the leadership of Chairwoman Mary Kay Harris, has shown real courage where others have been unwilling or unable to commit to action,” said City Council President Rachel Miller. “This council will be prioritizing consideration of the recommendations contained in this report – many of which we have already begun to address, with more to come. Our city’s residents, and our renters in particular, have been demanding relief. Now we have our playbook, and we are ready to act.”

Since the beginning of this city council’s term in January 2023, Council President Miller and members of the city council have repeatedly named housing as their highest priority policy area, with a particular emphasis on increasing protections for the city’s renters.

From banning predatory, price-fixing rental algorithms and limiting the bulk purchase of property throughout the city by out-of-state corporate interests, to expanding support for emergency warming centers and investing millions into the affordable housing trust, this city council has led the way with creative and urgently needed solutions. The HCTF report gives councilors the tools they need to continue that leadership in the months ahead.

In a statement following the panel’s vote to finalize the report earlier this week, Chairwoman Harris expressed gratitude for her fellow Task Force members and urged immediate action:

“This report lays out a bold vision for housing in our city, which is exactly what this moment demands. I could not be prouder of my colleagues on the Task Force and our incredible staff who have spent countless hours listening to residents, researching solutions, and determining the best ways for this council to address the overlapping crises of homelessness and housing affordability that we all see and feel each day. The time to act is right now.”

Also at tonight’s meeting, councilors granted first passage to an ordinance introduced by Councilman James Taylor (Ward 8) that, if granted second and final passage, would approve the financing of $5.5 million to purchase new trash and recycling bins across the city. Replacing bins citywide with new, more modern, and larger receptacles will support public health and safety by reducing overflow and minimizing recycling contamination. The new bins will also save personnel hours and resources currently being spent on repair and replacement of the current, aging bins, saving the city money over the longer term and ensuring smoother curbside pick-up across all 15 wards. The idea for this ordinance was first proposed by the Special Commission on Waste Management chaired by Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5).

Other notable items from tonight’s meeting include:

• Introduction of an ordinance by Councilwoman Althea Graves (Ward 12) which would allow councilmembers to more effectively address hazardous trees across the city.
• Unanimous passage of a resolution introduced by Councilwoman Shelley Peterson (Ward 14) congratulating the faculty, staff, students, and families of E-Cubed Academy for placing in the top five high schools statewide for reductions in chronic absenteeism.
• Unanimous passage of a resolution introduced by Councilwoman Peterson recognizing Ward 14 resident Laura Afonso for her contributions to the Providence small business community.