We were proud to gather alongside partners, neighbors, and local leaders to break ground on Center City Apartments, our largest development to date. This development will transform a once-blighted site into a vibrant community with 144 affordable apartments, thoughtful amenities, and dedicated supportive services. Below are some highlights and reflections from the day as we celebrated this milestone and looked ahead to the work still to come.
“Today’s celebration is the culmination of years of perseverance and innovative collaboration with our partners to advance critically needed affordable housing in the city of East Providence,” -Peter Chapman, President & CEO of One Neighborhood Builders.
“Today’s ceremony celebrates an incredible investment in our community, an investment that transforms a once-blighted property into a place of opportunity, stability and renewed community pride,” – East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva.
“When complete, the Center City Apartments will be life-changing for the people who call it home, from teens aging out of foster care to unhoused individuals and low- to moderate-income families,” –Michelle Wilcox, President & CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island .
“I was proud to team up with Senator Whitehouse to deliver a $2 million federal earmark to make the Center City Apartments development a reality. As we break ground on the first phase of this important development to create 95 welcoming new homes for Rhode Islanders, we must also recommit to our shared work boosting the availability of high-quality, low-cost homes across our state,”- Senador Jack Reed.
“This partnership allows us to give young people leaving foster care the stability they deserve, while also meeting the broader housing needs of our community,” –Lisa Guilette, Executive Director of Foster Forward.
“Home prices keep climbing in Rhode Island, even as the Trump administration pulls back on housing investments,” – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
“Today’s groundbreaking is especially meaningful to me, not only as the CEO of Family Service of Rhode Island, but also as someone who proudly calls East Providence home” –Margaret Holland McDuff, President & CEO of Family Service of RI.
“It takes all of us to find creative solutions to the housing crisis,” –Congressman Gabe Amo.
“Housing is everything — it’s the foundation that shapes our health, our relationships, our work, and our future. Yet each of us experiences a different piece of the housing crisis, which is why real progress demands that we see the whole picture and work together,” –Secretary of Housing Deborah Goddard.
“By aligning our financial investments with our mission, we can deploy more of our capital to benefit Rhode Island and can support larger scale or different kinds of projects than we typically do through our grant programs,” –David N. Cicilline, President & CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation.
