Dr. Molly Richard, Assistant Professor of Public Health, recently published an op-ed in the Providence Journal arguing that rent stabilization is a critical tool for preventing homelessness in Rhode Island. In the piece, titled “Stabilizing Rents can Reverse Rise in Homelessness,” Dr. Richard challenges the narrative that homelessness is a personal failure, instead framing it as a systemic issue driven by soaring housing costs.
Drawing on her own research, she demonstrates that rental costs are a strong predictor of homelessness, with even modest rent increases associated with significant increases in sheltered and unsheltered populations. Dr. Richard notes that as Providence has seen a dramatic rise in rental housing costs, the city has also seen a dramatic rise in homelessness, with 618 people counted living outdoors last January—a 15 percent increase from the previous year and nearly five times the 2020 figure.
Dr. Richard explains that Providence’s proposed rent stabilization measure would limit annual rent increases while exempting new construction and small owner-occupied properties. She argues that these policies would give individuals and families a critical sense of stability and ultimately prevent homelessness and the health impacts associated with it.
URI community members can access the article through the library here.