HB513 (2007) Detail

Establishing a housing commission.


HB 513 – AS INTRODUCED

2007 SESSION

07-0251

05/03

HOUSE BILL 513

AN ACT establishing a housing commission.

SPONSORS: Rep. DeStefano, Merr 13; Sen. Burling, Dist 5

COMMITTEE: Commerce

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a housing commission to identify ways the state can promote and encourage the development of affordable housing.

This bill is a request of the committee established by 2006, 210.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

07-0251

05/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven

AN ACT establishing a housing commission.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Findings and Statement of Purpose.

I. The state of New Hampshire is experiencing a shortage of housing that is affordable to working and senior households.

II. The shortage of housing affordable to working households poses a grave threat to the state’s continued economic growth. This continuing shortage presents a barrier to the expansion of the state’s labor force, undermines efforts to foster a productive and self-reliant workforce, and adversely impacts the ability of many communities to host new businesses.

III. The state has taken an active economic development role in recruiting new business and industry to locate in New Hampshire and should also take an active role in ensuring that there is an adequate and balanced supply of housing for the state’s workforce.

IV. Current residential development patterns often limit the availability of more affordable housing options and also result in more rapid and inefficient use of our state’s important natural resources.

V. Achieving a balanced supply of housing, which requires increasing the supply of housing affordable to working families, serves a statewide public interest, and constitutes an urgent and compelling public policy goal of state government.

2 New Hampshire Housing Commission. There is established a housing commission. The purpose of the commission shall be to identify ways for state government to promote and encourage the development of more affordable housing in New Hampshire.

I. The members of the commission shall be as follows:

(a) Two members of the senate, appointed by the senate president.

(b) Two members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(c) Six public members, appointed by the governor, at least one of whom shall have expertise in affordable housing, at least one of whom shall have expertise in zoning and/or planning, and one of whom shall serve as the chairperson of the commission.

(d) The executive director of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, or designee.

(e) The executive director of the New Hampshire housing finance authority, or designee.

(f) The director of the office of energy and planning.

II. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, except that legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.

III. The commission shall:

(a) Consult with municipal and state officials, members of the housing development and planning communities, representatives of the state’s employers and business community, and other experts on current conditions and on potential courses of action.

(b) Recommend specific initiatives through which state agencies can provide improved technical assistance to local governments on housing-related matters, including model ordinances and other technical resources.

(c) Identify changes in state agency regulatory policies and procedures relevant to housing development intended to improve the efficiency of such processes and reduce barriers to housing development.

(d) Formulate recommendations for actions by which the state, through allocation of discretionary and competitive funding resources, can encourage communities to embrace alternative growth management strategies designed to increase the supply and affordability of housing throughout the state.

(e) Identify and make recommendations for other administrative, regulatory, legislative, and policy initiatives designed to reduce barriers to the production of additional affordable housing options for New Hampshire’s working families.

(f) Develop an “Affordable Living Communities Recognition Program” to recognize those communities that have taken steps to promote the development of affordable housing.

IV. The commission may request relevant information and testimony from the New Hampshire housing finance authority, the office of energy and planning, the department of environmental services, the department of transportation, the department of resources and economic development, and any other relevant government agency.

V. The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section and the commission shall meet at least quarterly thereafter. Seven members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.

VI. The commission shall submit a preliminary report of its findings and recommendations on or before December 1, 2007 and a final report on December 1, 2008, to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, the governor, the house clerk, the senate clerk, and the state library.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.