The federal government’s $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is now available to states to fund broadband infrastructure across the nation. The national non-profit EducationSuperHighway is partnering with the Rhode Island Department of Commerce to help them identify affordable housing properties that could benefit from these funds and demonstrate demand from property owners like you.
As an example, EducationSuperHighway recently helped the Massachusetts Broadband Institute generate demand for their Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) Retrofit Program. Here are a couple of the initial affordable housing owners that had properties selected in their first and second rounds:
One owner had 12 properties representing 1,292 units selected in the first two rounds. These particular properties are receiving ~$1,651,000 in broadband infrastructure upgrades at no cost to ownership.
Related Affordable had 9 properties representing 2,351 units selected so far and are receiving ~$2,351,000 in broadband infrastructure upgrades.
The Rhode Island Department of Commerce is creating an MDU program to deploy broadband infrastructure in eligible affordable and public housing to support residential internet access and adoption using a portion of these funds.
If you’re interested in having your properties considered for this funding, please complete EducationSuperHighway’s short form. It is non-binding and serves to provide the Rhode Island Department of Commerce with an idea of the need, size, and demand for such a program. This is a unique chance to expand connectivity for your residents with the support of federal dollars.
You're Invited to Attend a Virtual Training
RIHousing will not be participating in a LIHTC training with IREM this year. Therefore, LIHTC property owners and managing agents who register and attend the Successfully Implement HOTMA and HOME 2025 training on June 3, 2025, will be eligible to have their attendance count towards the annual LIHTC training requirement.
RIHousing Updates | Successfully Implement HOTMA and HOME 2025 Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Plan to leave better prepared to transition to the HOTMA and HOME 2025 era in Rhode Island.
SLFRF Funded Developments - Program Bulletin: #2025-06
Please view Program Bulletin 2025-06 which provides guidance for sites at least partially financed with State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) awarded by RIHousing.
As RIHousing has begun to implement our compliance procedures for SLFRF-funded deals, we wanted to make our sites are aware of some of the unique requirements of this funding.
Are you and/or your property management team struggling with understanding Procorem and what your responsibilities and compliance requirements are? Are you bombarded with emails from Procorem and don’t know what to do about them?
If so, please reach out to Lenore Coughlin at lcoughlin@rihousing.com, or to your Asset Manager, to arrange for a private, tailor-made training just for you and your team at your agency. Many have taken advantage of this offer and have gone on to be successful and in compliance.
This training is free so please reach out to Lenore as soon as possible!
Reminders:
PBCA Section 8 Property managers – reminder to maintain three (3) years of history in a tenant file. Otherwise, managers will have to retrieve the information from their archive before RIH goes to the site for an MOR.
UPDATE your property contact information. This includes all positions in your Management Company. Have you had staffing changes, even in senior management and executive positions? Please ensure your property’s contact information is always current and accurate – our new form allows property management to update their information themselves; here is the link: Site Contact Information Update
The correct RIHousing phone number for tenant complaints is 401-443-1616
We'd love to hear from you!
To provide suggestions for information you would like to see in future Property Matters E-News, please email Kathy Millerick at kmillerick@rihousing.com.
RIHousing, 44 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903
