Housing (Zoning)

SB 2038 caps the size of accessory dwelling units (ADUs, or small secondary homes on residential lots) at 900 square feet for one-bedroom units and 1,000 square feet for two-bedroom units. It requires all municipalities to follow uniform statewide rules, prohibiting excessive fees, parking mandates, or restrictions based on family status or income for ADU applications. The bill also prevents local governments from imposing extra lot requirements, limiting ADUs to pre-existing homes, or restricting ADUs in new developments. Homeowners, property owners, and local zoning authorities are directly affected by these standardized size limits and procedural rules.

HB 7219 establishes statewide standards for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), small secondary homes on residential properties, while giving municipalities the option to adopt these rules. It requires towns to allow one ADU per lot under specific conditions (e.g., owner-occupied for disability accommodations, large lots, or within existing structures) and sets clear limits on ADU size (minimum 900 sq. ft. studio or 1,200 sq. ft. two-bedroom), prohibits excessive fees or discriminatory restrictions, and bans bans on ADUs in new developments. The bill also prevents municipalities from requiring extra lot size or parking for ADUs, voids conflicting private property restrictions, and bans ADUs for short-term rentals. These rules take effect July 1, 2026, and apply to homeowners, renters, and local governments that choose to implement the standards.

Requires single-family residential zoning in municipalities with populations of over forty-thousand (40,000) to allow middle housing and mandates that those municipalities adopt zoning regulations for middle housing.

Eliminates mandated housing densities/density bonuses for public drinking water supply watersheds/groundwater. Requires densities not exceed water availability, introduce pollution, stay within public water or sewer system capacity limits.

HB 7372 allows the town of Tiverton to establish its own density bonuses for development projects based on the town's existing zoning regulations. This bill directly affects Tiverton's local land use planning by giving the town authority to determine how much additional building space developers can receive as incentives. The key provision removes a state-level restriction, enabling Tiverton to tailor density bonus rules to its specific zoning framework. This change supports local control over housing and development policies within the town's designated zones.