Affordable Housing solutions on the agenda at Washington County HEZ Policy Breakfast

Residents and Local Leadership Gather to Address Affordable Housing Solutions at Washington County Health Equity Zone Policy Breakfast

Residents, community leaders, and policymakers convened for a Policy Breakfast in October to discuss the topic “Housing All of Our Neighbors: Creating Affordable Housing in Washington County,” organized by Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: Washington County’s Health Equity Zone. The event, held at The Haversham in Westerly, focused on the urgent need for affordable housing solutions in the region, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss barriers, share insights, and outline actionable steps to expand housing accessibility for all residents in Washington County.

The breakfast opened with remarks by Alison Croke, President and CEO of Wood River Health who introduced Health Bodies Healthy Minds and highlighted the organization’s mission to drive systemic change across Washington County in priority areas such as housing, transportation, and behavioral health to improve health and well-being for all county residents.

The powerful keynote address, delivered by Brenda Clement, Executive Director of HousingWorksRI, provided a data-driven look at the housing crisis in Rhode Island, underscoring the importance of local solutions. According to HousingWorks RI Fact Book [found on the HousingWorksRI website], there is currently no municipality in RI where a household earning under $100,000 can afford to purchase a home, highlighting the severe shortage of affordable options for both middle- and low-income families. In addition, Melina Lodge from Homes RI provided information about ballot measure 3, Housing and Community Opportunity, encouraging attendees to support this critical step toward funding affordable housing projects statewide.

Following the keynote, a panel, moderated by Croke, featured local leaders from diverse organizations, including Russ Partridge of the Warm Center, Colin Penney of South County Habitat for Humanity, Frank Shea of Women’s Development Corporation, and Nancy Letendre, Town Planner of Westerly. Panelists shared the challenging and significant obstacles and barriers to affordable housing in Washington County and highlighted successful strategies that can be replicated to make continued progress towards affordable housing in the region.

The event closed with a call to action for municipalities, legislators, and residents to work collaboratively toward housing solutions, inspiring concrete actions to support the development and preservation of affordable homes for all residents. “The turnout and collaboration at this forum are a testament to the commitment across our community,” said Kristen Frady, Program Manager for Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds. “We’re working together to create lasting solutions so that all Washington County residents have a place to call home. This event gave attendees the tools and information they need to make meaningful changes in their own communities.”

About Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: Washington County’s Health Equity Zone is a collaborative initiative working to address health disparities across the region, with a focus on behavioral health, transportation, and housing. Through community-driven programs and partnerships, the organization aims to remove structural and policy barriers to health and well-being.