The Statewide Housing Action Coalition (SHAC) was organized in January 1991. A group of housing providers and funders called together interested organizations and individuals to identify common housing-related issues that could be more effectively addressed by a coalition.
During that first year’s state General Assembly session, SHAC helped ensure the passage of legislation creating a local streamlined permitting process for affordable housing developments and the State Housing Appeals Board. In 1996, SHAC adopted the slogan “The path to economic opportunity begins at our front door” to remind Rhode Islanders that affordable housing is essential to personal economic stability and community economic development. Also in 1996, SHAC formally incorporated as a non-profit in the state of Rhode Island and adopted organizational bylaws.
Since 1996, SHAC has been governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who are selected to represent a cross-section of SHAC members. Over the years, as funding allowed, SHAC contracted with several individuals to provide staff support (mostly administrative tasks) to the board of directors. Since early 2000, the Housing Network- the RI Association of non-profit community development corporations provided office space and staff support and served as SHAC’s fiscal agent.
Currently, over 70 organizations and individuals are members and share a commitment to ending the crisis of affordable housing in Rhode Island. SHAC’s legislative accomplishments include the establishment of the state’s Housing Resources Commission and the creation of the Neighborhood Opportunities Program for affordable housing production. SHAC has also served as the lead agency for the New England Housing Network and the National Low-Income Housing Coalition.
In 2005, three major funders provided $150,000 to SHAC which allowed us to hire two full-time employees and one part-time employee. Staff was loaned by the board to Housing Works to work with others to convince our General Assembly to place a $50 million housing bond on the ballot. After successfully convincing the legislature, SHAC staff then shifted to the “Vote Yes on 9 housing bond campaign” In November 2006, Rhode Islander voters overwhelming approved the housing bond.
By the end of 2006, all three SHAC staff members had left to pursue other career opportunities. 2007 has been an important transitional year for SHAC as we worked to expand the board, develop a work plan, identify new funding sources and apply for IRS tax-exempt status. From January-June 2007, the Housing Network Board of Directors loaned their Executive Director, Brenda J. Clement, to SHAC for a 1/3 of her time to monitor state and federal legislation for the organization. In July, Ms. Clement left her position at the Network to serve as Acting Executive Director for SHAC. In January 2008, Ms. Clement became the permanent,
full-time Executive Director. Housing Action received its own 501©(3) and © (4) designation from the Federal Government and expanded its board and formally began using the name of Housing Action Coalition.
The board continues to work to ensure that Rhode Island has an appropriate range of housing options to meet the needs of all residents – including rental units for working households, permanent supportive housing, lead-free housing for children, accessible units for persons with disabilities, first-time homeownership opportunities, and assisted living residences for the elderly. To accomplish this goal, we continue to work for:
*Funding for the production of affordable housing that complements
the character and culture of Rhode Island’s communities,
*Preservation of existing affordable housing options, including federal
housing programs, and
*Closing the gap between income and housing costs
