Why should we care?

Nothing is more essential to a positive life than family, specifically housing a family. The idea of someone literally paying a mortgage and one day owning their own house has become a rarity given the way society is today. Rhode Island, and especially the district of North Kingstown, is considered one of the hardest places in the country to own a home.

To find a home that is deemed "affordable" is tough enough, but to find one in a positively regarded community can be considered impossible for some. As someone who has grown up in North Kingstown, I feel as though I have a pretty good grasp on the way the community is structured. I hope that over the course of the recent blog posts, I have gotten across the point that there IS affordable housing in North Kingstown. Also, a blog post discussing why I believe the community is so highly thought of was evident, so the connection between the community and affordable housing has been made relevant.

Taking a Closer Look - North Kingstown

I am writing today to take a step back from the specific housing developments in the town, and to give a more general analysis of North Kingstown. I would like to inform you all about the district of NK, and why I decided to create a blog about it. Affordable housing is not necessarily hard to find in any state in the country, but finding a great community with affordable housing - that is something worth looking into.

As of 2010, the population in the town was more than 26,000+, 10,000+households, and 7,000+ families. Comparing this statistic to years past, it is evident that North Kingstown is expanding.

I have lived in North Kingstown my whole life, and it would be a dream to be able to settle in and raise a family here after college. Here are just a few of the reasons that makes NK special:

Safe community-In the heart of North Kingstown lies not only the town police, but also a state police station barracks. The teamwork of the officers ensures safety in the community 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Crimes that would be considered "serious" rarely ever occur in NK, and when they do happen they are not soon forgotten. That is the sign of a safe community.

Education system- North Kingstown, specifically North Kingstown High School, is regarded as one of the best educational systems in the country. NK High's famous slogan for the last decade or so has been "A top 100 school in the country" in terms of statistical student scores. The high school is pretty new (about 10 years old) and is a beautiful facility. Unlike many other communities, students do not dwell on the building they are required to be at for 4 years of their lives.

Entertainment- North Kingstown is home to some of the most recognized restaurants around. Some of my personal favorites are Duffy's Tavern (which specializes in seafood), 7 Moons (known for it's unique world menu), and Oak Hill Tavern (known as the "House-of-Bar-B-Que." Wilson Park is a great place to spend the day, as they offer basketball and tennis courts, soccer fields, and bike and running paths (among other things). There is always something going on here recreational wise, as little league sports call here home. Historic Wickford is just a short walk up the street from the park, where some of the best shopping places are all lined up down strip. One of the other great places to spend the night is Kingston Bowl, where friends and family can gather enjoy a good time bowling/hanging out.

There are many things to love about North Kingstown. This was just a brief summary of my personal experiences here in the town, and things that any potential home-owner in the town would be interested in.

North Kingstown Navy Housing - Affordable Homes

http://youtu.be/bqljbg30hfw


This is a video that shows just how committed the town of North Kingstown is to helping the needy. The tactic of "taking the old and making it new" applies here, as the old Navy housing in North Kingstown is being converted to new, environmentally friendly affordable housing. The official name, "Kingstown Crossing" is a $26 million project.

Upon completition in 2010, 104 apartment units were put up and made available to live in. By the end of 2012, estimates suggest that number could double. Also built around the housing complex was a playground, basketball court, daycare center, and community center.

Rhode Island and North Kingstown Representatives described it best when they say this event was a "shot in the arm for the economy." As a resident of North Kingstown, it is uplifting to see that efforts are being made to better our community.

Wickford Village

58 Intrepid Road, North Kingstown RI (401-295-8813)

Wickford Village in North Kingstown is a small apartment/housing complex located in North Kingstown. The target audience for this community is generally lower-income/residents in search of affordable housing. The housing apartments are subsidized by the federal government HUD (Housing and Urban Development Division).

This is a great housing community for many reasons. First and foremost, it is definitely affordable. Many families have settled here because the rent they are asked to pay does not put a strain on other aspects of their lives.

Secondly, Wickford Village is in a beautiful part of town. It is located just off Post Road, one of the most well-known parts of North Kingstown. It is located directly behind the North Kingstown police station, and less than a 5 minute walk from a Rhode Island State police station. Officers can be found cruising the streets at all hours of the day/night to ensure safety for all residents. Safety for parents of young children is always a top priority, and families can feel safe moving in here.

Also next to the complex is Wilson Park, a beautiful park with baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, bike/running trails, among other things. The park is almost always hosting some kind of important event; for example the big Easter Egg Hunt that the whole town of North Kingstown gathers for in the spring. The NK high school is less than 10 minutes away, while the middle schools (Wickford and Davisville) are both less than 5.

Aside from affordable rent, Wickford Village also offers free water and heating bills. This is extremely appealing to first-time home owners who have to consider paying all the bills for the first time.

Wickford Village will appeal to almost anyone with regards to the housing apartments they offer. They offer one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom houses. Currently, I know a few families who have lived in Wickford Village for a few years now, and the houses are kept in top notch shape (they do monthly inspections) and have heard no complaints!

I would definitely recommend Wickford Village for anyone seeking affordable housing in North Kingstown.

King's Grant

12 Fischer Drive, North Kingstown, RI 02852 (401-884-1801)


King's Grant is a expanding apartment complex in the heart of North Kingstown. Located just off Post Road, residents have no trouble getting to wherever they need to go. Currently, King's Grant offers:

* 156 Total Housing Units
*61 One-Bedrooms
*95 Two-Bedrooms

Amenities include:
*Playgrounds
*Tennis court
*Basketball court
*Laundry rooms

King's Grant is a great place for the individual living on their own for the first time. When applying for a approval, the total income you make is accounted for and the rent will be based off of what you make a month/year (basically what you can afford according to your checks). The apartments are filled with many young college/post-college residents, but also many single mothers who needed an affordable place to live while raising a child. My sister lived in the community for five years following hairdressing school and while raising her newborn son and she had nothing but positive remarks to make about the apartments and management. Since I will be graduating in about a year this is definitely a place I will be looking into moving to once I graduate. However, one must keep in line that the waiting list is extremely long, so applying in at least a year advance is necessary! In my next post I will look at another affordable housing complex on the other side of town in "Wickford Village."

What Makes a Home "Affordable?"

According to the federal government, you are considered your rent or mortgage "affordable" if it consumes no more than 30% of your monthly income. With the remaining 70% of the total income, all of life's necessities can be met: food, clothing, transportation, medical, and any other miscellaneous expenses one may have.

With that said, these statistics are becoming less and less relevant in North Kingstown, and the state of Rhode Island as a whole. Housing rates have continued to grow over the past few decades, making it a struggle for many families in the area to get by. Unemployment rates in the state are some of the highest in the country, which creates a huge problem between increased housing rates and less revenue per family to spend.

In comparison to the government's assessment of 30% average monthly income, estimates of Rhode Island state officials conclude that number is over 40% here, and growing. Facing this harsh reality, people are forced to decide which is more important to the family; they can either stay in the state and cut down in other aspects of life (food, clothing, activities, etc.) or move out of town and have a less stressful financial life. Unfortunately, most families do not even get the choice, they are forced to take the latter.

So what can we do about this? Do we say "well that's the way it is, can't do anything about it" or "lets find possible solutions?" The fight is definitely an uphill battle, but for lifelong residents of the great state, it is one worth the effort.

How Does Rhode Island Compare?

Although my blog will mainly befocusing on the district of North Kingstown, I will also try to relate my posts to the state of Rhode Island and the United States as a whole for comparison reasons. I believe it is important to have the ability to relate resources; specifically North Kingstown to other town districts, to see whether or not they are deemed "affordable living."

To broaden the analysis, for this post I decided to research Rhode Island resident incomes compared to the other 49 states in the country. The goal in my thought process is to see statistically where Rhode Island ranks in the United States. Based on the numbers I find, I will be able to determine whether or not affordable housing in the areas I focus on is a major issue or not.

According to the Government Census Bureau,Rhode Island is the 17th richest state in the United States. Digging deeper in the numbers, the median household income is about $42,000, and the median family income is about $56,000.

Less than 2% of Rhode Island households earn an income of over $200,000, while 12% make between $100,000 and $200,000. Most shockingly, 13% have incomes of less than $10,000 and 45% make less than $35,000.

What does this mean? From my perspective, looking at these statistics makes me think of the old saying "the rich get richer, the poor get poorer." Rhode Island is in the top half of the country in regards to how rich they are, but also has close to 50% of their residents living below the poverty line. Does this make affordable housing in Rhode Island difficult? Absolutely. Impossible? Definitely not. My next blog post will focus a little more on "what makes a home affordable."