Committee Advances Rent Stabilization with Positive Recommendation

The unanimous HOPE committee vote follows an extensive public process, moving the ordinance to the full Council

Providence, RI – Tonight, the Providence City Council’s Special Committee on Health, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Education (HOPE) voted unanimously to advance the proposed rent stabilization ordinance out of committee, recommending passage with amendments shaped by months of public engagement and policy research.

The committee’s recommendation follows a robust public process that included community listening sessions across Providence, more than seven hours of public testimony before the full committee, and over 900 written comments submitted to the City Clerk. Feedback from tenants, property owners, housing advocates, nonprofit developers, and policy experts directly informed a series of amendments that strengthened and clarified the proposal.

“We’ve taken the time to do this right,” said President Pro Tempore Juan M. Pichardo (Ward 9). “We committed ourselves to an open, deliberate process, spending years listening to residents, engaging with stakeholders, and grounding our work in research. The result is a balanced ordinance we are proud to recommend to the full Council—one that brings stability to renters while ensuring property owners can continue to maintain and invest in their buildings. It responds with urgency that matches the scale of the housing crisis, and with deep care for everyone affected, both renters and small, local landlords.”

Prior to the vote, the committee heard a virtual presentation from Tram Hoang, the Senior Housing Associate at PolicyLink. Hoang, a national expert on rent stabilization and tenant protections, gave her testimony as part of the sponsors’ continued effort to ground the ordinance in research and best practices.

The amended ordinance limits excessive rent increases, bringing predictability and stability to renters while maintaining clear pathways for property owners to address legitimate operating costs and invest in their buildings. Council sponsors emphasized that the ordinance is part of a broader housing strategy that includes increasing housing supply, protecting existing housing stock, and stabilizing rent costs for Providence residents. Changes made during the committee process include strengthened Rent Board procedures, clearer standards for substantial rehabilitation, and updates to the treatment of new construction.

The members of the committee are Juan M. Pichardo, Shelley Peterson, Miguel Sanchez, Justin Roias, and Sue AnderBois. The ordinance will receive its first consideration by the full City Council at its April 2 meeting. The proposal must be approved twice by a majority of the Council before being sent to the Mayor for signature.