PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – When R.I. House Speaker Joe Shekarchi unveiled his annual package of housing legislation in 2024, he pointed to national data showing Rhode Island has for years built the fewest new units per capita in the United States.
“Unfortunately, Rhode Island does not have enough housing supply to keep up with demand,” Shekarchi said at the time. “Too many years of being dead last in the country for new housing permits have caught up with us.”
There is little argument that Rhode Island has a supply-and-demand problem when it comes to buying or renting a home, as evidenced by high prices and frequent complaints from residents. But a close examination shows the 50-state data often cited by local leaders is deeply flawed…