Providence Weighs Housing Affordability in the Context of Parking

Weighing in on an issue that has implications for parking, adults in Providence, Rhode Island show broad support for more affordable housing, according to a recent AARP Research survey.

The findings demonstrate an urgency for the city to support parking reform as a means to encourage housing development. Three in four Providence residents age 18-49, and two in three older residents, favor reducing off-street parking requirements if it means improving the availability and affordability of housing.

As city councilors consider an ordinance related to off-street parking requirements for new development, AARP Research and AARP Rhode Island conducted a short online survey of nearly 500 adults living in Providence.

Off-street parking, which has become a pressing topic for the community, includes parking spaces available in a driveway, parking garages, and surface parking lots.

A clear divide exists among residents, offering an insight into the debate over preserving off-street parking and increasing affordable housing options. Ideally, affordable housing would increase, and off-street parking would be preserved, the survey revealed.

Housing is the top issue

When asked to rank city priorities, “develop more housing” was the top-ranked priority among all adults, with approximately four in ten putting it first. Making it safer and easier to walk was the second priority.

Maintaining the availability of off-street parking for automobiles was ranked first by only about one in five residents.

A divided city

Despite the clear need for housing, off-street parking access is important to many residents. Two in five residents would rather see the city preserve off-street parking than use that land for further home and commercial development.

Slightly more – just over half – see the benefit in the city prioritizing the building of more houses and commercial buildings to generate more tax revenue for the city’s needs.

Further, residents are nearly equally split over who should decide how much off-street parking is necessary: government or homeowners/developers.

The divisions revealed in the survey indicate the need to better educate residents on how reducing or eliminating off-street parking minimums will make housing more available and affordable, researchers warn. This includes communicating the opportunity to increase Providence’s housing supply by reducing off-street parking minimum requirements. The ordinance being considered is intended to promote downtown and commercial development, reduce barriers to small business growth, and encourage more housing.

Methodology

AARP conducted two online surveys: one with 250 adults age 50 and older between April 12 and May 2, 2025, and another with 241 adults age 18–49 between June 16 and June 29, 2025, both in Providence. The data are representative of the Providence population by age and gender. However, due to the small sample sizes, the results were not weighted by AARP membership, race, ethnicity, or income.

For more information, please contact Joanne Binette at jbinette@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.