Rhode Island Low-Income Housing Property Management

• Move-in & annual certification management
• Income limits, asset status verification
• TIC review and approval
• Rent limit & utility allowance monitoring
• File audits before state reviews
• Compliance for layered programs (HOME, PBRA, HCV, 236, 202/811)
• Pre-inspection compliance readiness
• Technology

• In house unit-turnover to minimize vacancy times
• Compliance with reasonable accommodation and modification process
• Full LIH waitlist management with timestamp integrity
• Eligibility-focused screening
• Program-compliant marketing
• Applicant interviews & file preparation
• Lease execution with all LIHTC addenda
• Clean, audit-ready move-in files

• In-house maintenance trained on LIH & NSPIRE inspection requirements
• Faster response times for work orders and health/safety issues
• Integrated in-house plumbing, turnover, and grounds maintenance
• Centralized vendor management for specialized repairs
• Technology-driven maintenance and compliance reporting for affordable housing

• Annual operating budgets
• Monthly financial statements
• Program-aligned reporting for owners & investors
• Rent roll oversight
• Rent maximization within LIHTC limits
• Expense tracking & forecasting
• Support during audits and owner reviews

• Continuing education for onsite staff
• Resident relations support
• Preventive maintenance coordination
• Operational consistency
• Owner communication and reporting

Stonelink Property Management (―Stonelink‖) is a privately held property management firm headquartered in East Providence, Rhode Island. Stonelink’s mission is to provide high-quality, safe, housing to low-income and affordable‐housing residents while maintaining compliance with the complex regulatory frameworks that govern subsidized properties. As a regional owner‑operator, Stonelink aligns its operations with housing authorities, state housing agencies, lenders, and nonprofit partners to stabilize housing for vulnerable populations. It views itself as an operating partner rather than a traditional landlord, integrating property management and maintenance functions to deliver stable housing outcomes and meet the expectations of both private and public‑sector stakeholders.

Stonelink’s organizational values emphasize compliance, accountability, and social responsibility. The company recognizes that effective, affordable housing management requires more than rent collection—it demands transparent governance, rigorous documentation, resident support, and collaboration with stakeholders. Stonelink embraces a stewardship model that prioritizes resident well-being, long-term property sustainability, and community impact. It also supports initiatives that address food insecurity and poverty in Rhode Island, believing that housing stability and basic needs go hand‑in‑hand.

Stonelink manages a diversified portfolio of multifamily properties across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, with a portion designated as affordable or subsidized housing. Rather than assigning a single property manager to a certain number of units, Stonelink operates a departmentalized, team-based model. Key functions—owner & asset‑level oversight, resident communication, leasing and compliance intake, specialized affordable‑housing compliance, legal/regulatory coordination, accounting & trust accounting, and marketing—are performed by separate departments with defined scopes and standard operating procedures. This model ensures that each property benefits from multiple full-time professionals specialized in their respective disciplines, leading to continuity during staff absences, strong segregation of duties, and better compliance controls. Stonelink scales staffing based on function and workload rather than a static property‑manager-to-door ratio, which allows for rapid redeployment of resources in response to property needs.

Stonelink maintains a fully in-house, vertically integrated maintenance and turnover operation designed for older, maintenance-intensive, and lead-regulated affordable‑housing portfolios. Approximately thirty full-time maintenance technicians and turnover specialists support the portfolio; each is certified in lead remediation and trained to EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) standards. Dedicated internal turnover workflows and a centralized work‑order intake/dispatch system allow Stonelink to reassign personnel dynamically based on work volume, property condition, compliance requirements, and seasonal demand. The company rejects simplistic technician-to-unit ratios because such ratios ignore property age, physical condition, lead compliance status, preventive vs. reactive maintenance volumes, turnover frequency, and seasonal factors. Instead, maintenance resources are allocated where they are needed, protecting resident safety, property condition, and regulatory compliance.

Stonelink operates continuous, 24/7 emergency maintenance coverage. At all times, there is one maintenance supervisor and two maintenance technicians on call, supported by clear escalation protocols for life‑safety, habitability, heat, plumbing, and electrical emergencies. Additionally at all times there is a property manager on call to ensure all owner and resident communication regarding updates are delivered in accordance with maintenance activity. Real-time coordination between on-call staff, property management, and compliance leadership ensures rapid response, immediate supervisory oversight, proper documentation, and adherence to habitability standards common to all properties including affordable‑housing programs.

Stonelink has significant experience operating regulated affordable‑housing programs. In 2019, the company onboarded a 225-resident portfolio whose tenants were placed through a wide network of housing authorities, behavioral‑health providers, and nonprofit agencies. Participating authorities and agencies included (but were not limited to) the Pawtucket Housing Authority, Central Falls Housing Authority, Woonsocket Housing Authority, Providence Housing Authority, Cranston Housing Authority, North Providence Housing Authority, Cumberland Housing Authority, West Warwick Housing Authority, East Providence Housing Authority, Bristol Housing Authority, Warren Housing Authority, Coventry Housing Authority, Brockton Housing Authority, Fall River Housing Authority, Dartmouth Housing Authority, Rhode Island Housing, and the Town of Lincoln, along with agencies such as NeighborWorks, NeighborWorks East Bay Community Action, various Community Action Agencies, The Providence Center, Thrive Behavioral Health, Care New England, Community Care Alliance, Sojourner House, House of Hope and Amos House.

This portfolio was subject to layered oversight: units were subsidized through a mixture of housing‑authority programs and behavioral‑health agency placements; the properties carried serviced debt through Fannie Mae (administered by Lument), requiring compliance with lender-mandated inspections, reporting, and capital‑reserve requirements; and the properties were governed by state lead‑safety and habitability regulations. Stonelink’s management team-maintained compliance with all stakeholders, coordinated inspections, documented repairs, and managed reserves to institutional standards. The company’s performance ultimately allowed the ownership group to purchase the portfolio from Fannie Mae, demonstrating Stonelink’s capacity to manage complex housing assets with Low-income programs to lender-level expectations and carry that experience into future projects.

Stonelink understands that each affordable‑housing agency has distinct documentation, inspection, leasing, and reporting requirements. The company maintains dedicated liaisons for each housing authority and nonprofit provider, ensuring timely submission of occupancy certifications, rent reasonableness documents, inspections meeting NSPIRE standards, and vacancy reporting. It has experience coordinating layered housing subsidies, e.g., combining Section 8 vouchers with supportive‑services funding from behavioral‑health providers. These collaborations require disciplined controls to avoid subsidy conflicts and to protect residents’ eligibility for assistance. Stonelink’s internal legal/compliance department and specialized affordable‑housing team work together to interpret regulatory updates and to implement policy changes across the portfolio.

Stonelink Property Management’s portfolio includes management of a 33‑unit scattered‑site portfolio owned by Justice Assistance Holdings LLC, a Rhode Island non‑profit that provides services to justice‑involved individuals and, through its Habitat for Justice program, develops affordable housing and workforce opportunities. The Habitat for Justice initiative addresses critical housing, employment and wealth‑creation needs within justice‑involved communities; it develops affordable housing through new construction and acquisition/rehabilitation of underutilized properties, partners with RI Housing and local municipalities to make homes affordable and requires apprenticeships for justice‑involved individuals in construction projects.

All 33 units in the Justice Assistance portfolio are funded through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, a federal block‑grant program that provides formula grants to states and local governments to build, buy and rehabilitate affordable housing or to provide rental assistance to low‑income households. The portfolio includes units subsidized with project‑based vouchers (PBVs) and tenant‑based Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs). PBVs are part of the Housing Choice Voucher Program; unlike tenant‑based vouchers, which families can use anywhere, PBVs are attached to specific units whose owner contracts with a public housing authority (PHA); eligible households pay about 30 percent of their income toward rent and utilities, and the voucher pays the difference. HCVs (often called “Section 8”) are the nation’s largest rental‑assistance program; they help low‑income families pay for privately owned housing through subsidies administered by HUD and local PHAs.

For the Justice Assistance portfolio, Stonelink administers rent for both PBV and HCV units in accordance with PHA requirements, processes rent‑increase requests, and coordinates directly with the PHA on all rent‑related matters. The company handles annual and interim recertifications, maintains and manages the waiting list, conducts move‑in interviews, and reviews income documentation with ownership to ensure tenant eligibility and correct subsidy calculations. These administrative controls align Stonelink’s compliance infrastructure with HOME, PBV, and HCV program rules.

Maintenance and operations responsibilities for the Justice Assistance portfolio are equally comprehensive. Stonelink manages unit turnovers, capital improvements, coordinates inspections under HUD’s new National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE)—a protocol designed to improve compliance by accurately assessing unit condition and prioritizing resident health and safety—and ensures that all units remain lead‑safe and habitable. The company prepares properties for PHA inspections, completes work orders promptly, and oversees repair projects in compliance with federal and program regulations. These services support Justice Assistance’s mission to provide stable, affordable housing while building workforce skills and intergenerational wealth for justice‑involved Rhode Islanders

Stonelink operates at institutional compliance standards. The 225‑resident portfolio described above carried serviced debt through Lument under Fannie Mae, requiring strict adherence to lender inspection schedules, operational reporting, and reserve requirements. Compliance obligations existed concurrently with housing authority oversight and agency regulations. Stonelink created a governance framework that aligned with Fannie Mae Servicing Guides: asset and property managers documented annual and periodic inspections, prepared capital improvement plans, maintained segregated reserve accounts, and conducted regular financial reporting. In parallel, the internal compliance team monitored housing authority recertifications and HQS inspections, ensuring that maintenance and capital improvements were synchronized with agency timelines. By maintaining disciplined documentation and meeting both lender and agency obligations, Stonelink helped position the portfolio for successful long-term stability and eventual acquisition.

Beyond Fannie Mae compliance, Stonelink routinely navigates overlapping regulations, including state fire‑safety codes, Rhode Island Housing tax‑credit compliance, lead‑hazard reduction, and local zoning requirements. Its departmentalized structure and internal legal/compliance staff support consistent interpretation of regulations and implementation of policy changes. Regular training and industry participation (see Section VIII) keep staff abreast of evolving standards.

The onboarding and management of Stonelink’s affordable‑housing portfolio coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. This coincided with the management of the 1000+ other residential units already under management by Stonelink.  Public‑health restrictions on limited property access, altered inspection protocols, and disrupted rent collections. Stonelink responded by implementing emergency procedures:

• Remote compliance and inspections. The company worked with housing authorities and lenders to adopt virtual HQS inspections where permitted, documented resident-reported conditions, and provided photographic evidence of repairs.
• Rent relief coordination. Stonelink assisted residents in applying for Rhode Island’s RentReliefRI program and other emergency rental‑assistance funds. Staff guided residents through documentation, income verification, and application submissions. The company secured over $1 million in rent‑relief funding for residents during the pandemic, stabilizing tenancies and protecting program compliance.
• Health and safety protocols. Maintenance technicians utilized personal protective equipment (PPE), practiced social distancing, and performed no-entry repairs when possible. Stonelink’s 24/7 emergency response capabilities ensured that urgent issues—such as heating failures or water leaks—were addressed promptly while minimizing exposure risk.
• Communication. Frequent resident updates and coordination with agencies helped ensure that changing policies (e.g., eviction moratoria, inspection modifications, funding deadlines) were understood.

Managing layered oversight alongside lender requirements during a public‑health crisis requires adaptability and sustained coordination. Stonelink’s performance under these conditions demonstrates its capacity to maintain compliance and support residents amid rapidly changing circumstances.

Stonelink’s maintenance operation is intentionally vertically integrated. The company owns and controls service divisions, including plumbing & heating, landscaping, snow removal, and cleaning/turnover services. This model enables:

• Faster response and inspection of readiness. In-house teams can respond immediately to maintenance or life‑safety issues without waiting for third-party vendor availability. Residents receive prompt service; inspections pass with fewer deficiencies, and regulatory standards are maintained.
• Outcome control and quality. Work is performed by technicians trained in affordable‑housing requirements and lead‑safety practices, ensuring that repairs comply with agency and lender specifications. Because maintenance staff are internal employees, Stonelink can enforce quality standards and documentation protocols.
• Cost management. Internal service divisions reduce reliance on market-rate vendors; cost savings are reinvested in property improvements and compliance initiatives.
• Risk reduction and continuity. Vertical integration reduces the risk of vendor shortages during emergencies (e.g., snowstorms) and allows seamless escalation to licensed trades when specialized work is required.

Stonelink also invests heavily in safety and regulatory training: 27 technicians and three managers are certified lead renovators; eight technicians hold ladder‑safety certification; staff are OSHA 10 certified; and safe‑driving training is provided by the Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island. Maintenance staff participate in HOTMA and HOME compliance training, ensuring that repairs and turnover work align with HUD regulations.

Stonelink’s affordable‑housing platform relies on active collaboration with public and nonprofit partners. The company maintains regular communication with housing authorities and agencies listed in Section III to coordinate resident placements, inspections, rent calculations, and recertifications. Stonelink’s team acts as a liaison, ensuring that paperwork is complete, inspections are scheduled, and rent adjustments are implemented in a timely manner. Examples of partnerships include:

• Housing authorities. The company works with multiple municipal housing authorities across Rhode Island and Massachusetts, each with its own waitlist, voucher program, and inspection cadence. Staff stay current with each authority’s policies to maintain compliance.
• Nonprofit and behavioral‑health agencies. Stonelink houses clients from Thrive Behavioral Health, The Providence Center, Care New England, Community Care Alliance, Sojourner House, House of Hope, Amos House, and others. These agencies provide supportive services; Stonelink coordinates with case managers to address resident needs and to ensure that housing remains stable and program requirements are met.
• State housing finance agency. Stonelink engages with Rhode Island Housing on program compliance, rent relief, and funding opportunities

Stonelink maintains memberships and professional affiliations in national, regional, and local organizations that support affordable‑housing excellence. Its key memberships include the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA), the Northeast Affordable Housing Management Association (NEAHMA), the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM), the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the Rhode Island Association of Realtors (RIAR), and the Greater Providence Board of Realtors (GPBOR).

Professional designations held by staff include Accredited Residential Manager (ARM®) and Certified Property Manager (CPM®) from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM) from NAHMA. These credentials reflect formal training in asset management, affordable‑housing compliance, and financial oversight.

Licensing and regulatory credentials include Rhode Island and Massachusetts broker licenses, a Rhode Island General Contractor (GC) license, OSHA 10 certification, ladder‑safety certification, safe‑driving training, and training in HOTMA and HOME 2025 regulations. These licenses and certifications enable Stonelink to perform regulated repairs, manage construction projects, and operate within workplace safety requirements.

Stonelink also fosters civic engagement: leadership serves on the East Providence Area Chamber of Commerce board and participates in the Rhode Island Executive Office of Housing Vacancy Work Group. The company has been recognized with the Activism of the Year Award by Feed RI/We Share Hope for its role in fighting food insecurity, highlighting its commitment to community welfare.

Stonelink Property Management invests in rigorous training for its staff and has team members who hold LIHTC‑specific designations such as the Specialist in Housing Credit Management (SHCM). These credentials are built on the federal LIHTC program, which is the primary source of financing for new affordable rental housing and has produced more than 3 million apartments to date; certification is required by most property management companies and housing authorities for personnel responsible for eligibility determinations and compliance.  Its compliance team is trained to the program’s standards and is prepared for future assignments.

Team members also bring prior experience working with major institutional investors in the LIHTC sector. Team members have collaborated with the National Equity Fund (NEF)—a leading non‑profit affordable‑housing investment manager that has invested more than $27.2 billion, representing approximately 260,000 new or preserved affordable homes—and with Enterprise Housing Credit Investments, whose affiliate Enterprise Community Partners has invested $72 billion and created one million homes nationwide since 1982. This individual experience informs Stonelink’s understanding of investor expectations, regulatory frameworks, and reporting standards.

Stonelink views community engagement as integral to housing stability. A recent example is the Mariam Kaba Community Food Pantry at the Harbor Youth Center in Woonsocket, which opened in June 2025. The pantry was created through a partnership with the nonprofit We Share Hope and funded by Stonelink and the Papitto Opportunity Connection; it provides a refrigerator, freezer, and shelving to store food and receives biweekly deliveries. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Stonelink Managing Partner Justin Mann described “two sides of the equation” for Woonsocket: housing hundreds of families through Stonelink’s property management work and addressing food insecurity among youth. He emphasized that Stonelink recognises the urgent need to support vulnerable residents and is committed to making a lasting impact through partnerships.

Stonelink’s support of food‑security initiatives complements its core mission by recognizing that stable housing requires access to basic needs. The company also collaborates with community organizations such as We Share Hope, Feed RI, and local chambers of commerce to support charitable programs. These activities illustrate Stonelink’s belief that property management and community well-being are inseparable.

• Comprehensive affordable‑housing experience. Stonelink has managed properties across multiple housing authorities and agencies, demonstrating the capacity to navigate complex placement programs, layered subsidies, and overlapping regulatory requirements. Its work with Fannie Mae‑serviced portfolios shows the ability to meet institutional compliance standards.
• Robust organizational structure and staffing. A departmentalized management model and vertically integrated maintenance operation provide redundancy, specialization, and compliance controls. In-house teams deliver 24/7 emergency coverage and dynamic resource allocation, ensuring rapid response and inspection readiness.
• Regulatory expertise and training. Staff hold ARM®, CPM®, and SHCM designations and are trained in HOTMA, HOME, and lead‑safety regulations. Licenses such as Rhode Island and Massachusetts broker licenses, a Rhode Island GC license, and OSHA certifications enable Stonelink to perform regulated work and manage projects.
• Community alignment. Stonelink recognizes that housing stability includes addressing food insecurity and other social determinants of health. Its partnerships with We Share Hope and other organizations and recognition such as the Activism of the Year Award demonstrate a commitment to mission-aligned charitable engagement.
• Adaptability under crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stonelink maintained compliance, secured over $1 million in rent‑relief funding for residents, and adapted to modified inspection protocols, demonstrating resilience and strong resident advocacy.

Stonelink Property Management combines proven affordable‑housing experience, rigorous compliance infrastructure, vertically integrated operations, and community-driven values to deliver stable, compliant housing for low-income residents. Its track record positions it as a qualified and reliable partner for housing authorities, state housing agencies, nonprofit organizations, and institutional lenders.