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 round one of the program:
Coventry Cranston Cumberland Foster
Johnston Lincoln Newport 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:
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 for the first round of the Municipal Fellows Program included site visits to Cumberland, Lincoln, Westerly, and Newport.
For the first round, the fellows’ terms were approved for up to 21-months, expiring at the end of September 2026. To continue building on the program’s success and supporting municipalities, a second round of the Municipal Fellows program will be funded with $1 million from RIHousing. An RFP for the second round will be made available late 2026.
Questions about the Municipal Fellows Program? Email: Joshua.Berry@housing.ri.gov