It’s no secret that Providence has a housing crisis. Gentrification, limited options and the effects of institutions like Brown purchasing more and more land have all contributed to a hostile market for many of the city’s residents. Rising prices do not spare off-campus rentals either, and students aren’t in a position of power to deal with the market on their own.
When searching for housing off campus, options for Brown students are limited. For a location to be feasible, it must be within walking distance of classes, lest students also take on daily transportation fees. That limits prospective housing to a fiercely competitive ten-minute radius of campus. Thus, landlords who rent out the properties can easily monopolize the limited housing supply. No matter how high prices are raised or how strict the rules of the lease agreement may be, students depend on these landlords to have a place to live. With the absence of more reasonable competition, someone else has to step in.
The ongoing housing and gentrification issues in Providence are, in part, due to off-campus student living, and further amplified by the ease with which landlords can exploit the vulnerability of students, as seen on other campuses. Student renters are often pitted against permanent Providence residents, but their interests are not necessarily opposed — all would benefit from a more stable renting process. Considering this, we need our state and local government to further regulate landlords and the student rental market.
Currently, in Rhode Island, laws are in place to manage inflation and gentrification. Rent cannot be increased without written notice received by tenants at least 45 days in advance, and increases cannot vastly exceed the general market pricing of a given area. Providence also has a rental unit registration and mediation program that provides tenants with support in dealing with landlords. However, there are still many opportunities for further legal intervention to protect renters.
For instance, there are no statewide rent-control laws that explicitly limit how much rent can be increased. Past attempts to pass this type of legislation in Rhode Island have failed due to pressures from landlords and a general lack of support. The implementation of rent-controlled zones or housing in Providence, especially College Hill, could allow the area to become more accessible for both students and other residents alike. It may also help curtail the constantly increasing prices driving local gentrification.
Additionally, there are a variety of laws that could protect tenants from being displaced or scared away by exploitative landlords. Right of first refusal laws would see current tenants being given the opportunity to purchase a rental unit before it is allowed to hit the market or be transformed into something more expensive, while just-cause eviction protections would ensure residents can’t be unfairly kicked out of their own homes. Though Brown students are only renting on College Hill for one or two years and may not think of purchasing property, we should not discount the impacts of such legislation. Even more pertinent is the potential for laws on student housing in particular, such as a Rhode Island bill debated earlier this year that would raise the limits on how many students can live together.
Students should not stay idle. If we want to address Providence’s housing crisis, we must mobilize and show our local government what we want and need to be improved.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board and aim to contribute informed opinions to campus debates while remaining mindful of the group’s past stances. The editorial page board and its views are separate from The Herald’s newsroom and the 134th Editorial Board, which leads the paper. This editorial was written by the editorial page board’s members Paul Hudes ’27, Paulie Malherbe ’26, Alissa Simon ’25 and Yael Wellisch ’26.
