Representatives David Morales and Cherie Cruz oppose parts of the "8-Law" Bill

On Saturday, March 15th at 3 pm in front of the State House (Smith Street side), the Atlantic Mills Tenant Union will host a rally opposing Subsections B and D of the “8-Law” bill.

Following last week’s committee hearing on House Bill 5688 and today’s Housing Affordability Commission hearing, Representatives David Morales and Cherie Cruz -- members of the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing - are voicing their opposition to Subsections B and D of the “8-Law” bill.

[For more, see: Proposed changes to "8-Law" at the General Assembly may make it easier for Atlantic Mill owners to evict artist-tenants]

[On Saturday, March 15th at 3 pm in front of the State House (Smith Street side), the Atlantic Mills Tenant Union will host a rally opposing Subsections B and D of the “8-Law” bill.]

“Subsection B would set a dangerous precedent by granting a massive 30-year tax break to any developer that converts commercial property into residential housing, regardless of whether there are affordable units,” said Representative Cherie Cruz. “As written, this legislation would incentivize the development of luxury housing and accelerate gentrification across our state. Without any safeguards for existing tenants or requirements for affordable units, this section aims to prioritize wealthy developers at the expense of local residents.”

“As a Providence Representative, I’m very concerned about the impact this legislation will have on displacing commercial tenants from the already limited number of affordable spaces in our city,” said Representative David Morales. “During the committee hearing, I directly asked Providence Mayor Brett Smiley whether this bill would grant the new owner of Atlantic Mills, a historic, affordable commercial space for artists, a 30-year tax break if it were converted into luxury housing. Unfortunately, the answer I received was yes. And today’s study commission hearing further emphasized the fact that affordable housing is not a requirement, much less a priority within subsection B. Therefore, it’s clear that this legislation in its current form will be harmful as it contributes to the displacement of artists and small business owners.”

“It's also important to note that Subsection D would allow existing 8-Law Agreements to continue exploiting tax breaks that wrongfully benefit non-affordable housing units. By passing this subsection as written, this bill would fail to deliver meaningful reform, instead codifying the very agreements that have allowed market-rate and luxury apartments to receive generous tax breaks. Overall, this subsection undermines efforts to prioritize affordable housing and instead perpetuates a system where wealthy developers continue to benefit at the expense of low-and-moderate-income residents,” said Representative Morales.

“While we support Subsection A of this legislation which would clarify and clean up the provisions of 8-Law, it is clear that Subsection B and D do not align with these goals,” said Representatives Morales and Cruz.

House Bill 5688, which was introduced at the request of Mayor Brett Smiley, had a committee hearing before the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing on Tuesday, March 4th where it was held for further study. On Saturday, March 15th at 3 pm in front of the State House (Smith Street side), the Atlantic Mills Tenant Union will host a rally opposing Subsections B and D of the “8-Law” bill. Representatives Morales and Cruz will be speaking at the rally.