Speakman honored for affordable housing efforts

State House – Rep. June S. Speakman has been honored by the Housing Network of Rhode Island for her work promoting housing affordability.

Representative Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol) received the “Friends of the Network” award along with Sen. Meghan E. Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence) at the organization’s annual meeting, held June 5 at the Providence G Rooftop.

The Friends of the Network Award is given to an individual or organization who has provided exceptional support to the Housing Network of Rhode Island and its membership.

“Our mission is to bring people together to make Rhode Island an equitable and affordable place to live for all our neighbors,” said Melina Lodge, executive director of Housing Network of Rhode Island. “That takes partners in government, and we have found excellent ones in Senator Kallman and Representative Speakman. Their leadership has helped so many Rhode Islanders secure a safe, affordable home for their families and we are grateful for their work.”

Representative Speakman has led the House Commission to Study the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act since its inception in 2021, helping to shape the legislative response to the state’s housing crisis. She has sponsored numerous bills aimed at increasing access and affordability of housing in Rhode Island, and in 2021 championed an amendment to the state budget that established Rhode Island’s first permanent funding stream for affordable housing.

“I share the Housing Network’s sense of urgency about our state’s affordable housing crisis. Having a safe, stable place to live that they can afford is the most basic need of every person, without which they really can’t succeed in other areas of life. That basic need has increasingly become out-of-reach for a vast number of Rhode Islanders,” said Representative Speakman. “I am very grateful to the members of the Housing Network for their advocacy, leadership and the ground work they are doing to address this crisis. We need everyone with power in our state to work cooperatively toward solutions that change the dynamic in Rhode Island so we swiftly create safe, livable, affordable places to live for people at every income level.”

The Housing Network of Rhode Island is the state’s membership organization for agencies committed to the development of affordable housing and vital communities. It is composed of 15 community development corporations and affordable housing developers across Rhode Island. Housing Network members have created thousands of affordable housing units and are leading community revitalization and economic development efforts across the state.

Also honored at the event were: Nancy Smith Greer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Retired), receiving the Francis H. Smith Award; Anne Berman, from RIHousing, receiving the Joseph A. Caffey Award; Lynne Urbani, director of policy for Rhode Island House Speaker’s Office, receiving the Housing Innovation Award; and the Boston Globe RI and Uprise RI, receiving the Housing Elevation Award.