Saturday, October 04, 2025
Governor Dan McKee, along with the revolving door of Rhode Island Housing Secretaries over the past three years, have all claimed that Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) would be a big part of the effort to solve Rhode Island’s housing crisis.
With the median price of a single-family home now over $500,000 in Rhode Island, an ever-decreasing number of buyers can purchase a home.
In summary, less than 20% of Rhode Island households can afford to buy a median-priced home, making the state one of the most challenging markets in the country for homebuyers.
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So far, with ADUs there has not been much to show for all the talk.
Under McKee, there have been four Housing Secretaries in the past three plus years:
– Joshua Saal: He was the state’s first Housing Secretary, appointed in 2022. He resigned in January 2023 following criticism over the department’s slow progress.
– Stefan Pryor: The former commerce secretary was appointed to the role in early 2023. He left for a private-sector job in July 2024. And now he is back as the acting Secretary of Commerce.
– Daniel Connors (Interim): He served as the interim Secretary from July 2024 until December 2024, when he returned to his role at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
– Deborah J. Goddard: Appointed in November 2024 and officially confirmed by the state Senate in March 2025, she is the current Housing Secretary. She had a controversial time while working in New York City.
Governor McKee, Speaker Joe Shekarchi, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and Housing Secretary Deb Goddard at the dedication of a housing project in Feb., 2025
MA v. RI
In the first six months of 2025, Massachusetts reported 844 ADU applications — and is on a pace for 1,700 or more for the year.
Rhode Island’s Office of Housing claims it does not have any data for 2025, but told GoLocal that in 2024, it had permitted 163 and only completed 66 ADUs in 2024.
Even when adjusting for population, Rhode Island is permitting about half of the number that the Commonwealth is approving.
“Massachusetts needs more homes to drive down costs for everyone. That’s why, with the Legislature, we legalized ADUs by right in the Affordable Homes Act,” said Governor Maura Healey in a statement in late September. “ADUs can help seniors afford to stay in the communities they love, give families a chance to earn some extra income or provide an individual with disabilities more independence. It’s great that hundreds of people across Massachusetts are taking advantage of this effective way to build more reasonably-priced homes – which will benefit us all.”
All this while Rhode Island’s program continues to flounder. In all of 2024, in Providence, only one ADU received a certificate of occupancy.
Across Rhode Island, 17 communities completed zero or only one ADU in 2024.