A PROVIDENCE FOR ALL • UN PROVIDENCE PARA TODOS •

A PROVIDENCE FOR ALL • UN PROVIDENCE PARA TODOS •

OUR PATH FORWARD

Everyone deserves a joyful, affordable life in Providence and David Morales has a plan to make it real.

HOUSING WE CAN AFFORD

Housing is the most important issue facing our city. Working families are seeing their housing costs skyrocket whether they rent or own their home. And what does Brett Smiley have to say about the issue? “Long term Providence residents are saying this is out of control, but, if you’re coming from Manhattan or Boston, it’s still a bargain.” (Brett Smiley on GBH News, July 2025). 

While Smiley sides with wealthy developers seeking to maximize profit, David Morales sides with our neighbors, friends, and the people of Providence. When he’s Mayor, David will fight for affordable homes and stable rents.

  • “Providence has been ranked the least affordable in the U.S. for renter by Redfin” - Brown Daily Harold

    Today, Providence is the U.S. city where renters spend the highest percentage of their income on Rent, higher than residents of New York, Boston, or Seattle. As more and more of our neighbors are being priced out of Providence, David is prepared to take action. As Mayor, David will proudly champion the City Council’s proposal for rent stabilization and enforce it once it passes. None of our neighbors should be worried about their rent increasing by more than 4% each year. Everyone deserves the peace of mind that they can stay in their home, build stability, and continue calling Providence home.

  • David knows that rent increases have been driven by rising costs for everyone and that rent stabilization alone won’t provide stable, affordable homes for our neighbors. As Mayor, David will stabilize property taxes for homes valued under $2 million. Brett Smiley proposed one of the largest property tax increases on working families in recent history, and it was only thanks to the city council that the final increase wasn’t higher. Providence needs a leader that protects our neighbors that live here.

  • We have an affordability crisis. While new homes are being built in Providence, that development is prioritizing profit for rich developers over homes for working people and long-term community members. Unlike other cities in New England like Worcester, Hartford, and Cambridge; Providence does not require affordable units for new housing projects. As Mayor, David will require all new housing projects to include affordable units designated for Providence families. This isn’t just about housing, it’s about protecting our communities, preventing displacement, and building a Providence that all our neighbors can afford.

  • There’s an alarming trend happening in our communities. Neighborhood by neighborhood, property management companies are buying out multifamily and single-family homes. After making minimal ‘renovations,’ they significantly increase the rent, forcing out community members who can no longer afford to stay in the neighborhoods they’ve called home for years. It’s a profit-driven strategy and it’s working for these corporate landlords. But it’s hurting us, the people of Providence. As Mayor, David will protect our neighborhoods from being bought out by enforcing a targeted ‘Transaction Fee' on property management companies seeking to buy a home in Providence. While federal law prevents us from limiting how many properties these companies can own, the city can make it much less profitable for them as they try to displace our neighbors and drive up housing costs. This is about leveling the playing field and putting our community first, not investors. 

  • Providence can no longer leave the future of our housing supply solely in the hands of private developers. As Mayor, David will use the Providence Redevelopment Agency to act as a public developer by acquiring underused land and transforming it into permanently affordable homes and community assets. From vacant buildings to surface parking lots, Providence will turn underused spaces into homes and community assets for the people who live here. 

  • All our neighbors deserve to live in dignity. Our neighbors in Dominican Manor, Carroll Towers, Chad Brown, Manton Heights, and other public housing communities deserve safe and well-maintained homes. As Mayor, David will direct new resources to the Providence Housing Authority so tenant concerns and building repairs are urgently addressed. 

FAIR TAXES AND ENDING BAD CONTRACTS

Providence’s current way of raising revenue forces working people and families to shoulder tax increases. We need a newer and fairer system that finally requires the wealthiest property owners, large developers, and our Private Universities to contribute their fair share to our city. In 2025, Brett Smiley attempted to raise residential property taxes on multifamily homeowners by 16% while proposing tax cuts for commercial landlords. This unfair model needs to end. Working families cannot keep footing the bill. Beyond that, we need to audit every city contract and make sure that our public dollars are being invested on real results for working families. As Mayor, David will make sure that private vendors providing public services are accountable to us. We need to end bad contracts such as red light cameras and speeding cameras that collect our private data while keeping a huge share of the ticket revenue they generate. And we must ensure that large services providers like Waste Management are meeting their obligations and providing quality services to our city. 

  • Our city’s “flat-tax” model means that if Providence lawmakers want to raise taxes on large mansions, they have to raise them at the same rate as a modest single-family home in the Silver Lake neighborhood. This outdated practice places an unfair burden on our neighbors. As Mayor, David will replace Providence's flat property tax with a fair model and stabilize property taxes for homes valued under $2 million. Million-dollar homes and large-scale commercial buildings will contribute more to our city services and the future of our schools.

  • Providence has repeatedly entered into agreements that have gutted city revenue while rewarding developers and large institutions. From deals with tax-exempt properties, to red light camera contracts, to tax breaks for wealthy developers, the result has been fewer resources for our public services and higher costs for working families. When he’s Mayor, David will make sure that all city agreements and contracts serve our community, not private interests.

  • Any organization or business interest that actively harms the health and well-being of our communities must be held financially accountable. As Mayor, David will enforce and strengthen penalties on large property owners who let commercial storefronts sit vacant and buildings remain boarded up. He will direct Providence Police to crack down on financial and cyber crimes that exploit working people, and he will ensure corporate polluters pay for the damage they inflict on our air, water, and soil. By holding bad actors accountable and reinvesting those resources into our neighborhoods, we will empower our local economy, and protect the public health of all our Providence neighbors. 

BETTER TRANSIT AND SAFER MOBILITY

Regardless of whether you walk, bike, drive, or use RIPTA, you should be able to move through Providence with ease and safety. Investments towards street safety measures and public transit, is an investment for our communities. 

  • Speeding cars combined with a lack of traffic calming measures have put too many lives at risk, leading to preventable injuries and even the tragic death of some of our neighbors. All our neighbors, from kids to seniors, should feel safe walking in their neighborhood. Raised crosswalks are a proven, common-sense solution. They slow down traffic, protect pedestrians, and save lives. As Mayor, David will install raised crosswalks near schools, parks, rec centers, and high traffic corridors so Providence is a safer and more walkable city for all. 

  • Public transportation should be comfortable, safe, and accessible for everyone. David will continue to lead the fight and organize with our neighbors to secure full state funding for RIPTA and prevent service cuts. As Mayor, David will work towards making RIPTA free for every Providence neighbor. In the immediate future, David will enter a partnership with RIPTA to provide free and universal bus rides for PPSD students (the same way that Brown University and RISD provide this service for their students). No more means-testing and unnecessary paperwork, if you are a Providence student, you will receive access to free public transportation! David will also work with RIPTA to make sure that all of our bus stops have a canopy, comfortable seating, and local art. By investing in these small but meaningful improvements, we can create a RIPTA experience that works for everyone.

EDUCATION

Providence is home to a diverse community of students and families, yet too many are being underserved by our public schools because of severe understaffing and a lack of intentional investments. With the proper investments centered around student needs, David knows we can guarantee a quality education and supportive experience for all our kids across the city. As Mayor, David will fight tirelessly for our kids and families by advocating at the state level and building a city budget that puts the students of Providence Public Schools first. This means fully staffing all our schools with multilingual educators, teaching assistants, social workers, librarians, and community coordinators so every child is supported, academically and emotionally. David will make sure that our multilingual learners and students with IEPs are receiving the dedicated staffing and services they need to thrive. Family engagement will be a cornerstone of this transformation as parents and caregivers will be provided with the support to be active partners in their children’s success.

PROTECTIONS FOR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS

Donald Trump has given ICE the free reign to terrorize our neighborhoods through the enforcement of harsh immigration policies, the militarization of ICE agents, and the rollback of due process. During his time as a State Legislator, David responded to calls of unmarked vehicles in our neighborhoods, filed a FOIA request to learn about ICE’s presence in Providence, and has called on the Governor’s Office to disclose our state police’s collaboration with ICE. As Mayor, David will protect all our immigrant neighbors by adopting an official sanctuary ordinance, being openly transparent about ICE sightings in our city, and empowering community organizations, like AMOR and ONA, that are on the ground supporting impacted families. 

  • As Mayor, David will make Providence a true Sanctuary City. That means putting an official Sanctuary Ordinance in place and strengthening the Community Safety Act so there is no confusion: Providence Police will not collaborate with ICE. Our Providence schools, places of worship, health facilities and courts will not grant access to their premises to any federal immigration authority. Providence deserves leadership that will protect every family by standing up against raids and intimidation. Our city belongs to all of us, and we will not allow fear to divide us.

  • Over the last several months, there has been a serious spike of ICE sightings in Providence. Unlike Brett Smiley, David will not ignore this crisis. As Mayor, David will establish a dedicated task force made up of frontline community organizations and trusted neighborhood leaders to share accurate information of ICE sightings and develop plans to protect our neighbors. This task force will work hand-in-hand with families, schools, and local businesses to make sure Providence is a community where our immigrant neighbors feel safe and supported.

CELEBRATING PROVIDENCE TOGETHER

When he’s Mayor, David will lead a city that embraces civic participation, public art, third spaces, and shared pride that brings our neighbors together. By fostering collaboration between our communities and City Hall, David will work to build a government that reflects the values, ideas, and creativity of our city. As Mayor, David Morales is committed to unifying the creative capital and supporting our city’s growing talent. The creative arts should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, ability, or socioeconomic status. From libraries to parks, all of our public spaces should be alive with local music, performances, and family-friendly cultural events that reflect the creative spirit of Providence.

  • Providence is home to talented creative artists and musicians who deserve the opportunity to be heard and supported by neighbors all across our city. As Mayor, David will focus on supporting existing programs like the Michael S. Van Leesten (MSVL) Bridge Sunset Free Concert Series and AS220’s Foo Fest, while also partnering with local musicians to bring free community concerts to neighborhood parks throughout Providence. Art and music belong to all of us. Local talent should echo through every park and neighborhood. 

  • Our community libraries in Providence do so much to support our neighbors. They are the heart of our communities and must be open and accessible when our families, youth, and neighbors need them most. As Mayor, David will provide every community library with the staffing and resources to open on Saturdays and expand weekday hours until 8pm. These expanded hours will help working parents bring their kids to the library more often, students will have a consistent space to study, and seniors will have a welcoming place for connection throughout the day. By strengthening our libraries, we will not only expand access to knowledge and technology, but also nurture community pride and public joy.

  • Providence is full of talented filmmakers and community groups eager to share their stories with our fellow neighbors. As Mayor, David will be a collaborative partner with local filmmakers and organizations like the Providence Children’s Film Festival. This means streamlining the permit process and offering technical support for free film screenings in neighborhood spaces. From Dexter Park to George J. West Park to Lippitt Park to our community libraries and schools, every corner of our city can become a stage for enjoying films and creative storytelling.

  • As Mayor, David will bring art directly into our public housing communities and local libraries by contracting local artists to serve as resident mentors and facilitators. These artists will receive stipends to lead weekly workshops in painting, music, dance, writing, and other creative forms. Together, these spaces will allow children, families, and elders to express themselves, share their stories, and strengthen community bonds. 

  • Providence’s creative energy belongs in every neighborhood! As Mayor, David will partner with AS220, New Urban Arts, the Steel Yard, the Avenue Concept, and others to expand funding opportunities that support neighborhood-based art projects and opportunities for local artists. Small businesses, including storefront galleries, restaurants, coffee shops, and retail will be encouraged and supported by the city to collaborate with local artists and turn every block into a hub of creativity, strengthening both our culture and our economy. 

  • Providence has creative artists, educators, and culture bearers whose talents should be woven directly into our schools. As Mayor, David will champion a citywide effort to bring teaching artists into classrooms, ensuring they are supported with real resources as they help students connect learning to real-world issues and strengthening social-emotional care. By making the creative arts a core part of public education, we will help create classrooms that reflect our city’s creativity. 

  • From recreation centers to schools to libraries, David will host regular community meetings across Providence. These gatherings will be open forums where neighbors can receive direct updates from City Hall, ask questions, and share ideas about the future of our city. David knows how important this practice is because he’s done it before. In his five years as a State Representative, David hosted more than 40 community meetings in the neighborhoods he serves. As Mayor, David is excited to bring transparency, accountability, and neighborhood-level engagement to all of Providence! 

A PROVIDENCE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS SAFE

Regardless of where you live or spend time in Providence, you deserve to feel safe. When he’s Mayor, David will invest in violence prevention programs, ensure that public safety reflects our city’s diversity, and expand access to mental health resources, substance use counseling, and case management. David’s approach to public safety is rooted in the belief that trust, accountability, and community partnership are essential to building a safer and more empathetic Providence.

CLIMATE CHANGE

From the frequent floods on Valley Street and Branch Avenue to heatwaves that disproportionately impact our neighbors in Washington Park, our communities in Providence are constantly feeling the impact of climate change. When he’s Mayor, David will take bold action by making generational investments in stormwater maintenance systems and green infrastructure projects, improving public transportation, expanding composting efforts, and stopping industrial polluters from harming our communities. David knows how urgent it is that we take action to protect our communities, stop the pollution, and secure a healthier future for every family in Providence.