Rhode Island Secretary of Housing Stefan Pryor resigns

Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor delivers a presentation to fellow members of the Special Legislative Commission to Study Housing Affordability on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. At left is Assistant Housing Secretary Hannah Moore. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

Rhode Island’s housing department is losing its second cabinet head in less than three years, Gov. Dan McKee’s office announced on Thursday.

Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor will be stepping down in two weeks for an unspecified private-sector job, Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for McKee’s office, said in an email. An interim secretary will be named by Pryor’s last day.

The governor’s office declined to share details when asked about the search process for a permanent secretary.

Pryor’s resignation marks the second time the fledgling state housing department has lost its leader in the two years since it was created. Josh Saal, the first housing secretary, resigned one year into his tenure in January 2023, amid criticism over missing reports required by the 2022 law that set up the department and cabinet-level leader. Pryor was picked by McKee to take over a week later, and confirmed by the Senate in March 2023.

Pryor in an emailed statement Thursday said his decision to accept the cabinet appointment was always intended to be a short-term position to help lay the foundation for the fledgling agency — a goal he feels he has now met.

“ Almost a year and a half later, I reflect with pride on the accomplishments of our Housing team and its partners,” Pryor said. “We have laid important groundwork for the State to address its housing challenges. But the work is far from done – continuing commitment and investment are required. And while I transition now to a position in the private sector, I hope to continue contributing to Rhode Island’s progress in meaningful ways going forward.

Pryor’s salary was $238,597 in fiscal year 2024.

A New York native who was classmates with Gina Raimondo at Yale Law School in the 1990s, Pryor was among Raimondo’s first cabinet hires after she was elected governor in 2014. As the state’s first commerce secretary, he was charged with carrying out Raimondo’s vision to use tax incentives to lure big-name companies to Rhode Island.

Pryor stepped down from Commerce in June 2022 to run for Rhode Island General Treasurer but lost in the September 2022 primary to James Diossa. His return to state government came at a time of turmoil. Saal’s abrupt resignation left $250 million in funding for new state housing programs in limbo. Advocates for the homeless were still enraged over how the McKee administration handled the removal of a homeless encampment from outside the State House.

Pryor also drew criticism from some lawmakers and housing advocates over perceived lack of transparency . At the same time, he’s been credited with helping build the agency , hiring a 26-person team and overseeing $321 million in federal pandemic aid awarded to state housing programs. Pryor also played a role in advocating for the record, $120 million housing bond included in the state’s fiscal 2025 budget and set to be considered by voters in November.

“We thank Stefan for his work over the last year and a half standing up our new Housing Department, overseeing Rhode Island’s historic investment in housing, and serving the State of Rhode Island in his different capacities,” DaRocha said in a statement. “The Governor looks forward to continuing this important work with the General Assembly and our community partners to increase housing production and affordability across Rhode Island.”

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, who has made housing his top priority as legislative leader, also praised Pryor in a statement.

“Stefan Pryor hit the ground running as the state’s first secretary of the Department of Housing and he shared my passion for addressing all aspects of Rhode Island’s housing crisis,” Shekarchi said. “He has a tireless work ethic and he produced immediate results in a very challenging housing climate.”

Updated to include a statement from House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and response from Gov. Dan McKee’s office.

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