Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Executive Office of Housing

Municipal Fellows Program

The Municipal Fellows Program places early-career professionals with Rhode Island municipalities to help address staffing shortages that are impacting housing production. The program was created using $1.3 million of COVID relief funds and provides no-match funding for full-time fellows for up to 2-years. There are eight municipalities participating in the program:

                          Coventry                                    Johnston

                          Cranston                                    Lincoln

                          Cumberland                               Newport 

                          Foster                                        Westerly

Each municipality crafted their Fellow’s work plan aimed at increasing housing production within their respective communities. Each community is different, so the Fellows’ tasks vary. Some examples of the Fellows’ activities include:

  • Comprehensive Plan drafting and support
  • Density analyses
  • Housing needs surveys
  • Corridor planning
  • Transit-oriented development planning
  • Identifying municipally owned development opportunities
  • Zoning research and ordinance drafting
  • Housing task force coordination
  • Drafting housing grant applications
  • Development plan review
  • Policy outcome predictions
  • Housing research & education 

In addition to their work, the Municipal Fellows are supported by a Learning Program managed by HousingWorks RI, a research and policy organization at Roger Williams University that is focused on housing and its relationship to our well-being as a state. The Learning Program is designed to develop the Fellows’ knowledge and skills. Fellows learn about critical housing issues, local geography and history, best practices, and other important housing-related topics. The learning sessions have or will include site visits to Cumberland, Lincoln, Westerly, and Newport. 

The fellows’ terms were approved for up to 21-months, expiring at the end of September 2026. The application window is currently closed, but EOH is currently exploring ways to continue funding this municipal support program.