WASHINGTON DC – In an effort to strengthen affordable housing options for more Rhode Islanders, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced that twenty-four Rhode Island cities and towns will receive a total of $27,752,056 in federal funding through the Public Housing Capital Fund. Senator Reed led efforts at the federal level to make this money available to support the development, financing, and modernization of public housing projects and for management improvements. Rhode Island utilizes federal public housing funds to prevent homelessness, reduce housing instability, and enhance economic outcomes for low-income families.
Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), this fiscal year 2026 Public Housing Capital Fund money will help local communities preserve, develop, finance, and modernize public housing. Housing authorities can allocate the federal funding to complete large-scale improvements, such as replacing roofs or making energy-efficient upgrades to heating and cooling systems.
“We’ve got to restore, maintain, and create more affordable housing opportunities. This new federal funding will improve housing conditions for vulnerable residents and help increase the supply and quality of affordable housing. It will help local housing agencies improve the condition of their buildings, preserve affordable housing, and help us build stronger neighborhoods and communities,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of both the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which authorizes the program, and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD), which appropriates money for it. “This funding will be put to work making capital repairs, maintaining public assets, and ensuring quality, affordable housing is available. It means local housing authorities can address their most pressing needs and hire additional maintenance staff and contractors.”
Public housing aims to provide safe and affordable housing for lower-income families, elderly Americans, and people with disabilities.
The Public Housing Capital Fund Program provides local housing authorities with funding for the modernization of public housing and ongoing maintenance needs. Local agencies can use the funding for a broad array of improvements that may include redesigning, reconstructing, and reconfiguring public housing sites and buildings; addressing safety code compliance needs; replacing obsolete utility systems and dwelling equipment; and investing in resident programs that help improve economic empowerment.
Through his work on the THUD Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Reed helped include $3.2 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund in the 2026 appropriations law.
In addition to his critical work on appropriations, Senator Reed helped write and advance structural housing reform initiatives. The full U.S. Senate recently approved the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes regulatory streamlining, modernization of HUD program administration, and expanded flexibility for public housing authorities. It also incorporates two of Reed’s bipartisan housing affordability bills: the Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act (S.964) with Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and the Helping More Families Save Act (S.970) with Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), as well as other key initiatives Reed championed.
According to HUD, Rhode Island has approximately 9,000 public housing units across the state.
Public Housing Agencies in the following cities and towns will receive funding:
Bristol: $480,892
Burrillville: $247,742
Central Falls: $907,431
Coventry: $440,147
Cranston: $1,610,506
Cumberland: $355,949
East Greenwich: $96,683
East Providence: $1,145,228
Jamestown: $72,111
Johnston: $380,867
Lincoln: $687,460
Providence: $8,721,537
Pawtucket: $2,630,138
Narragansett: $30,483
Newport: $2,218,616
North Providence: $310,603
Smithfield: $151,525
South Kingstown: $280,922
Tiverton: $118,658
Warren: $362,665
Warwick: $1,180,528
Westerly: $339,375
West Warwick: $647,066
Woonsocket: $4,334,924
TOTAL: $27,752,056
