Permitting Delays and Housing Supply: Evidence from Providence, Rhode Island

Rhode Island ranks among the least affordable housing markets in the United States, with slow growth in new units, an aging housing stock, and rising short‑term rental activity contributing to persistent supply constraints. This paper examines how permitting delays affect housing development in Providence, Rhode Island. Using an original dataset scraped from the city’s permitting portal (2015–2025), the study constructs project‑level measures of permitting and construction timelines and estimates an ordinary least squares regression to identify correlates of delay. The analysis finds that new structures, larger projects, and higher estimated costs are associated with longer permitting times, while year effects suggest modest improvement over time. Although the model explains a limited share of variance (R² ≈ 0.15), the results underscore that unpredictability in permitting is itself a barrier to investment. A brief discussion of policy implications highlights expedited review and digital process improvements as potential avenues to reduce uncertainty and promote supply growth. A limitations section outlines directions for future research, including multi‑city comparisons, governance variables, and greater reproducibility.