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5/15/2025
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House approves Rep. Cruz legislation to take advantage of underutilized land in communities
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Legislation is part of Speaker Shekarchi’s 2025 12-bill housing package
STATE HOUSE – The House today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Cherie L. Cruz that would take advantage of underutilized land in a community for the purpose of housing construction.
The legislation is part of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) 12-bill package of legislation regarding housing issues, his fifth comprehensive suite of housing bills since becoming Speaker in 2021.
“Every day, I see individuals and families fighting to secure safe and affordable housing. But too often, people are left defeated because the sad reality is that there is not enough housing built to satisfy our state’s housing needs. This bill will open up underutilized land, making it easier to construct the ‘affordable’ housing units that our residents ‘who are struggling the most’ are desperate for, and it will go a long way to maximizing the limited amount of space that our tiny state possesses,” said Representative Cruz (D-Dist. 58, Pawtucket).
The bill (2025-H 5799A) is based on feedback presented to the House Commission on Land Use to take advantage of underutilized land in a community. It would allow oversized lots to be subdivided if the resulting lots are equal to or greater than the lots in the immediate area. Additionally, the legislation would allow administrative modifications of dimensional requirements based on the average dimensional standard of the surrounding structures.
The legislation would take effect on January 1, 2026, and it now heads to the Senate for consideration.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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