Title 45, Title 45 and Cities

An appeal shall stay all proceedings in furtherance of the action appealed from, unless the zoning enforcement officer or agency from whom the appeal is taken certifies to the zoning board of review, after an appeal has been filed, that by reason of facts stated in the certificat…

The zoning board of review shall fix a reasonable time for the hearing of the appeal, and shall give public notice, at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town. Notice of the hearing, which shall include t…

Participation in a zoning hearing or other proceeding by a party is not a cause for civil action or liability except for acts not in good faith, intentional misconduct, a knowing violation of law, transactions where there is an improper personal benefit, or malicious, wanton, or …

In exercising its powers the zoning board of review may, in conformity with the provisions of this chapter, reverse or affirm wholly or partly and may modify the order, requirement, decision, or determination appealed from and may make any orders, requirements, decisions, or dete…

(a) An aggrieved party may appeal a decision of the zoning board of review to the superior court for the county in which the city or town is situated by filing a complaint stating the reasons of appeal within twenty (20) days after the decision has been recorded and posted in the…

(a) Whenever an aggrieved party appeals a decision of a zoning board of review to the superior court pursuant to the provisions of § 45-24-69, the aggrieved party shall also give notice of the appeal to those persons who were entitled to notice of the hearing set by the zoning bo…

Upon the entry of any case or proceeding brought under the provisions of this chapter, including pending appeals and appeals subsequently taken to the court, the court shall, at the request of either party, advance the case, so that the matter is afforded precedence on the calend…

(a) An appeal of an enactment of or an amendment to a zoning ordinance may be taken to the superior court for the county in which the municipality is situated by filing a complaint within thirty (30) days after the enactment or amendment has become effective. The appeal may be ta…

If any provision of this chapter or any rule, regulation, or determination made under this chapter, or the application to any person, agency, or circumstance, is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of the chapter, rule, regulation, or determination an…

(a) Pursuant to § 45-24-37, one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot shall be allowed by right under the following circumstances: (1) On an owner-occupied property as a reasonable accommodation for family members with disabilities; or (2) On a lot with a total lot area of twenty…

(a) Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) may be counted towards meeting a municipality’s affordable housing goals pursuant to chapter 53 of this title, and may be counted towards the ten percent (10%) of the year-round housing units reported in the census as required by § 45-53-4, if …

(a) Each municipality within the state shall furnish to the department of housing information on: (1) Any ordinances enacted related to accessory dwelling units, including those that implement this section of law during the previous calendar year; (2) All accessory dwelling units…

(a) Findings and declarations. The general assembly finds and declares that in order to increase the availability of residential housing near convenient public transportation, alleviate traffic congestion, and further the goals of chapter 6.2 of title 42, the Act on Climate, enac…

Chapters 25 — 27 of this title may be referred to as the “Housing Authorities Law”.

(a) An authority consists of five (5) commissioners appointed by the mayor and he or she shall designate the first chairperson; provided, that the housing authority of the city of Providence consists of eleven (11) commissioners who are residents of the city of Providence, and th…

Nothing contained in § 45-25-10 shall in any way alter any other part or provision of this title, chapter, or section, or any appointments heretofore or hereafter made thereunder, all of which remain in full force and effect.

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 45-25-10, commencing September 1, 1994 the housing authority of the city of Newport is expanded in size from five (5) members to seven (7) members. The two (2) additional members shall be residents of public housing facilities in the city of Ne…

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 45-25-10, commencing January 1, 2001, the housing authority of the city of Cranston is expanded in size from five (5) members to seven (7) members. The two (2) additional members shall be residents of public housing facilities in the city of Cr…

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 45-25-10, commencing September 1, 2000, the housing authority of the city of East Providence is expanded in size from five (5) members to seven (7) members. The two (2) additional members shall be residents of public housing facilities in the c…

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 45-25-10, commencing January 1, 2002 the housing authority of the city of Woonsocket is expanded in size from five (5) members to seven (7) members. The two (2) additional members shall be residents of public housing facilities and/or recipient…

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 45-25-10, commencing March 1, 2012, the housing authority of the city of Pawtucket is expanded in size from five (5) members to seven (7) members. Said additional members shall be appointed by the mayor to serve for terms of four (4) and five (…

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 45-25-10, the housing authority of the city of Central Falls shall consist of five (5) members, one of whom shall be a resident under an existing lease of a public housing facility or resident under an existing lease who is being assisted under…

All procedures by governing bodies of cities of this state and by housing authorities dealing with the creation and establishment of housing authorities undertaken before April 15, 1940, pursuant to this chapter, are hereby validated, ratified, confirmed, approved, and declared l…

The authority and its commissioners are under a statutory duty to comply or to cause compliance strictly with all provisions of chapters 25 — 27 of this title and the laws of the state, and in addition, with each and every term, provision, and covenant in any contract of the auth…

No commissioner or employee of an authority shall acquire any interest, direct or indirect, in any housing project or in any property, included or planned to be included, in any project, nor shall he or she have any interest direct or indirect in any contract or proposed contract…

(a) The mayor and/or town council may remove a commissioner for inefficiency or neglect of duty or misconduct in office, but only after the commissioner has been given a copy of the charges against him or her (which may be made by the mayor) at least ten (10) days prior to the he…

(a) An authority constitutes a public body and a body corporate and politic, exercising public powers, and has all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of chapters 25 — 27 of this title, including the following powers in addit…

The authority has exclusive jurisdiction to administer and manage Section 8 tenant based certificate programs and Section 8 voucher programs within its geographical area of operation inclusive of any certificate or voucher issued by the Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation wh…

(a) The Rhode Island housing and mortgage finance corporation is a public housing authority and public housing agency authorized to administer housing assistance programs throughout this state for the benefit of persons of low- or moderate-income, subject to the limited exception…

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this chapter or in any other provision of law, the authority may agree to any conditions attached to federal financial assistance relating to the determination of prevailing salaries or wages or payment of not less than prevai…

It is declared to be the policy of this state that each housing authority manage and operate its housing projects in an efficient manner so as to enable it to fix the rentals for dwelling accommodations at the lowest possible rates consistent with its providing decent, safe, and …

In the operation or management of housing projects, the authority shall at all times observe the following duties with respect to rentals and tenant selections: (1) it may rent or lease the dwelling accommodations of housing projects only to persons who lack the amount of income …

(a) To the extent not inconsistent with law, each housing authority shall adopt and promulgate reasonable rules which establish: (1) Eligibility requirements for admission to housing. (2) Obligations of tenants, including regulations for the use and occupation of housing units an…

Every person, regardless of sex, who was disabled while serving in the military or naval service of the United States in the Spanish American war, the insurrection in the Philippines, the China relief expedition, World War I, World War II, or in any conflict or war, whether decla…

(a) Upon request of any tenant in a public housing for people who are elderly project, the managing authority shall post, on or near the exterior door of the apartment of the tenant, an indication of any disability of the tenant in a form and size that is immediately understood i…

Every housing authority or any housing for people who are elderly subsidized by the federal government shall, as part of the application process for prospective tenants of housing for people who are elderly projects, request that the division of criminal identification in the dep…

There is created a board of tenants’ affairs for each city or town having a housing authority and operating one or more housing projects as provided by this chapter.

(a) The board shall consist of no fewer than eight (8) persons. One-half (½) of the members shall be elected from among the tenants occupying housing projects. Each housing project, if there is more than one, shall elect at least two (2) representatives. The remaining members of …

The board shall be organized initially by the members appointed by the mayor or council. Elections of tenant members shall be completed and the first organizational meeting held within ninety (90) days after April 12, 1968. The board shall meet thereafter not less than once each …

The city or town shall pay compensation for the members of the board which shall be a reasonable per diem allowance for each day that the board is in session. Sums paid the representatives from the housing projects are not counted as income for purposes of determining continuing …

(a) The board shall: (1) Advise the housing authority on matters concerning the general welfare of the tenants of housing projects and facilities. (2) Review and veto rules of the housing authority promulgated in accord with § 45-25-18.1 prior to publication. (3) Meet on a regula…

(a) The tenant or applicant affected has a right to a hearing and review by the board where a determination is made by the project management or by the housing authority: (1) That an applicant is denied admission to public housing; (2) That a tenant’s right of use and occupation …

If a decision to terminate a right of use and occupation is upheld by the board upon review, an action to regain possession of the premises shall not be brought until the right of use and occupation has been terminated by lawful notice. If an action to regain possession of the pr…

If any section, subsection, clause, sentence, paragraph, or any part thereof, is for any reason adjudged invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of any section or any part of a section shall not be affected by the judgment.

Nothing contained in §§ 45-25-17 and 45-25-18 shall be construed as limiting the power of an authority, with respect to a housing project, to vest in an obligee the right, in the event of a default by the authority, to take possession of the project or cause the appointment of a …

It is declared that: (1) Unsanitary or unsafe dwelling accommodations exist in various cities of the state, and that these unsafe or unsanitary conditions arise from overcrowding and concentration of population, the obsolete and poor condition of the buildings, improper planning,…