Bill Text - SB152 (2021)

Relative to affordable housing program funding.


Revision: Feb. 9, 2021, 10:52 a.m.

SB 152-FN-A - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2021 SESSION

21-1026

06/08

 

SENATE BILL 152-FN-A

 

AN ACT relative to affordable housing program funding.

 

SPONSORS: Sen. Gray, Dist 6

 

COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

ANALYSIS

 

This bill:

 

I.  Requires the department of health and human services to submit a State Plan Amendment to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services.

 

II.  Makes an appropriation to the housing finance authority to provide funding for affordable housing.

 

III.  Permits an extension of the timeline for repayments to the homeless housing and access revolving loan fund for emergency circumstances.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

21-1026

06/08

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty One

 

AN ACT relative to affordable housing program funding.

 

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

 

1  Department of Health and Human Services; Housing Assistance.  The department of health and human services shall, no later than December 1, 2021, submit to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services a 1915i State Plan Amendment to provide supportive services to assist individuals and families in obtaining housing.

2  Appropriations.  The sums of $5,000,000 for the fiscal year ending in June 30, 2022 and $5,000,000 for fiscal year ending in June 30, 2023 are hereby appropriated to the housing finance authority for deposit in the affordable housing fund established in RSA 204-C:57, for the purpose of providing financing or state matching funds for affordable housing. The appropriations shall be in addition to any other funds appropriated to the housing finance authority. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

3  Homeless Housing and Access Revolving Loan Fund.  Amend RSA 126-A:63 to read as follows:

126-A:63 Homeless Housing and Access Revolving Loan Fund.  There is hereby established a non-lapsing and continually appropriated homeless housing and access revolving loan fund. The fund shall be administered by the department of health and human services with advice and recommendations from the governor's interagency council on homelessness. To be eligible, an applicant shall have no permanent address and shall be residing temporarily in a shelter for the homeless, a hotel, a motel, the home of another household designed for occupancy by only one household, or entirely without shelter. Funds shall be used solely to provide loans for the first month of rent and security deposit for homeless individuals and families. Repayment terms of the loans shall be determined by the department in consultation with the interagency council and shall be based on need. Such repayments shall commence no later than 120 days after the loan is disbursed, provided that the time line for such repayments may be extended with the approval of the commissioner for emergency circumstances or other good cause shown.

4  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.

 

LBA

21-1026

2/8/21

 

SB 152-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to affordable housing program funding.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [ X ] State              [    ] County               [    ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

STATE:

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2024

   Appropriation

$0

$5,000,000

$5,000,000

$0

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

$0

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Indeterminable

Funding Source:

  [ X ] General            [    ] Education            [    ] Highway           [ X ] Other - Federal Matching Medicaid Funds

 

 

 

 

 

METHODOLOGY:

Section one of this bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to submit to the federal Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services a 1915(i) State Plan Amendment to provide supportive services to assist individuals and families in obtaining housing.  The Department assumes there will be no fiscal impact related to drafting and submitting the proposed amendment.  The Department states that as of February 2021, it is working on determining what the financial impact will be if the amendment is approved and supportive services must be made available to assist Medicaid-eligible individuals and families in obtaining housing.  The Department notes that the bill contains no appropriation for this purpose, but assumes that any general fund expenditures would be matched by federal Medicaid funds.

 

Section two of the bill appropriates $5 million in each of FY 2022 and 2023 to the NH Housing Finance Authority for the purpose of providing finance or state matching funds for affordable housing.

 

Section three amends RSA 126-A:63 relative to repayments of loans from the Homeless Housing and Access Revolving Loan Fund.  This section is not expected to have a fiscal impact.  

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Health and Human Services and New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority