Fact Books

The Housing Fact Book is an annual publication presented by HousingWorks RI at Roger Williams University that outlines housing affordability data for Rhode Island's 39 municipalities.

The goal of this annual publication is to provide the consumer with easy-to-understand information, as well as a tool to inform local and state decision-makers on the importance of an integrated approach to improving housing affordability in Rhode Island.

Twenty years ago, HousingWorks RI emerged from a broad-based coalition of more than 100 businesses and organizations that had come together to support Rhode Island’s first-ever state housing bond: Building Homes Rhode Island. This campaign educated state and local leaders and the public about the critical role housing plays in the economic well-being of all Rhode Islanders. Since that first successful campaign, Rhode Island voters have approved three more bonds, ultimately enabling more than 4,000 Rhode Island households to have an affordable, healthy home.

Over this twenty-year period, however, affordability concerns have matured into an affordability crisis. Two historic events—the US foreclosure crisis (2008) and the global pandemic (2020)—have presented immense challenges to our housing markets and to the financial systems tied to affordable, quality home access. Housing affordability is now a widespread national discussion.

In this year’s Housing Fact Book (.PDF), most extensively in the regional section, we review some of the housing trends and demographics that have developed over the two decades since HousingWorks RI’s inception, and present data and analysis we believe will help Rhode Islanders make informed decisions when presented with statewide opportunities or local decisions that will affect the future of our communities.