HOUSE BILL No. 4658

 

April 24, 2007, Introduced by Rep. Tobocman and referred to the Committee on New Economy and Quality of Life.

 

     A bill to amend 1966 PA 346, entitled

 

"State housing development authority act of 1966,"

 

by amending sections 58, 58a, 58b, and 58c (MCL 125.1458,

 

125.1458a, 125.1458b, and 125.1458c), as added by 2004 PA 480.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 58. (1) The definitions in section 11 apply to this

 

chapter unless otherwise provided in this chapter.

 

     (2) As used in this chapter:

 

     (a) "Adjusted household income" means that term as defined in

 

rules of the authority.

 

     (b) "Affordable housing" means residential housing that is

 

occupied by low income, very low income, or extremely low income

 

households, and results in monthly housing costs equal to no more

 

than approximately 1/3 of the adjusted household income of the


 

occupying household.

 

     (b) "Downtown area" means an area where 20 or more contiguous

 

properties have been planned, zoned, or used for commercial

 

purposes for 50 or more years and where the buildings are built

 

adjacent to each other and up to the public right-of-way. In order

 

to be a downtown area, the area must contain a significant number

 

of multilevel, historically significant buildings.

 

     (c) "Eligible applicant" means a not-for-profit corporation, a

 

for-profit corporation, a municipality, or a partnership that is

 

approved by the authority and that is organized for the purpose of

 

developing and supporting affordable housing for low income, very

 

low income, or extremely low income households or revitalizing

 

downtown areas.

 

     (d) "Extremely low income household" means a person, a family,

 

or unrelated persons living together whose adjusted household

 

income is not more than 25% of the median income, as determined by

 

the authority.

 

     (e) "Fund" means the Michigan housing and community

 

development fund created in section 58a.

 

     (f) "Low income household" means a person, a family, or

 

unrelated persons living together whose adjusted household income

 

is more than 50% but not more than 60% of the median income, as

 

determined by the authority.

 

     (g) "Multifamily housing" means a building or buildings

 

providing housing to 2 or more households, none of which is owner

 

occupied.

 

     (h) "Very low income household" means a person, a family, or


 

unrelated persons living together whose adjusted household income

 

is more than 25% but not more than 50% of the median income, as

 

determined by the authority.

 

     Sec. 58a. (1) The Michigan housing and community development

 

fund is created in the department of treasury. The fund shall be

 

administered by the authority and shall be expended only as

 

provided in this chapter.

 

     (2) The state treasurer shall credit to the fund all of the

 

following: appropriations from restricted revenues.

 

     (a) All receipts, including, but not limited to, dividends and

 

interest on the investment of money in the fund and principal and

 

interest payments from loans or agreements made from the fund.

 

     (b) All proceeds of assets received by the authority as a

 

result of the default of loans or agreements made under this

 

chapter.

 

     (c) All appropriations, grants, or gifts of money or property

 

made to the fund.

 

     (d) All fees or charges collected by the authority pursuant to

 

activities authorized under this chapter.

 

     (e) Other revenue as provided by law.

 

     (3) All balances in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall

 

be carried over as a part of the fund and shall not revert to the

 

general fund of the state.

 

     Sec. 58b. (1) The authority shall create and implement the

 

Michigan housing and community development program for the purpose

 

of developing and coordinating public and private resources to meet

 

the affordable housing needs of low income, very low income, and


 

extremely low income households and to revitalize downtown areas in

 

this state.

 

     (2) The authority shall identify, select, and make financing

 

available to eligible applicants from money in the fund or from

 

money secured by the fund for affordable housing for low income,

 

very low income, and extremely low income households and to

 

revitalize downtown areas. This subsection does not preclude the

 

authority from using other resources in conjunction with the fund

 

for a purpose authorized under this chapter.

 

     (3) The authority shall promulgate rules according to the

 

administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to

 

24.328, providing for the terms and conditions under which

 

assistance made under this chapter shall be recaptured.

 

     (4) The authority shall develop an annual plan providing for

 

the allocation of money from the fund, according to all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) The allocation plan shall contain a formula for

 

distributing money throughout the state based on the number of

 

persons experiencing poverty and housing distress in various

 

regions of the state.

 

     (b) The allocation plan shall identify eligible applicants,

 

preference for special population groups described in section

 

58c(2), and preference for geographic targeting in designated

 

revitalization areas including, but not limited to, neighborhood

 

preservation areas, state renaissance zones, core communities, and

 

federally-designated enterprise community or homeownership zones.

 

     (c) Not less than 25% of the fund shall be earmarked for


 

rental housing projects that do not qualify under preferences for

 

special population groups, geographic preferences, or other

 

preferences contained in the allocation plan.

 

     (d) Not less than 30% of the fund shall be earmarked for

 

projects that target extremely low income households and include at

 

a minimum both of the following activities:

 

     (i) Developing housing for the homeless, supportive housing,

 

transitional housing, and permanent housing.

 

     (ii) Providing security deposits , supportive services, and

 

technical assistance to eligible applicants.

 

     (e) A rental housing project assisted by the fund must provide

 

affordable housing for households earning no more than 60% of the

 

median income.

 

     (f) A home ownership project assisted by the fund must provide

 

affordable housing for households earning no more than 60% of the

 

median income.

 

     (g) Money that has not been committed at the end of a fiscal

 

year shall not be carried over in the category to which the money

 

had been allocated during that fiscal year, but shall be

 

reallocated for the next fiscal year according to the next fiscal

 

year's allocation plan.

 

     (5) Each year, the authority shall hold public hearings in at

 

least 3 separate locations throughout this state on the priorities

 

and draft allocation plan for the upcoming year. After the public

 

hearings, the authority may make minor modifications to the

 

allocation plan necessary to facilitate the administration of the

 

Michigan housing and community development program or to address


 

unforeseen circumstances.

 

     (6) The authority shall issue an annual report to the governor

 

and the legislature summarizing the expenditures of the fund for

 

the prior fiscal year including at a minimum a description of the

 

eligible applicants that received funding, the number of housing

 

units that were produced, and the income levels of the households

 

that were served.

 

     (7) In addition to the rules promulgated under subsection (3),

 

the authority shall promulgate rules according to the

 

administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to

 

24.328, to implement this chapter.

 

     Sec. 58c. (1) The authority shall expend money in the fund to

 

make grants, mortgage loans, or other loans to eligible applicants

 

as provided in this section to enable eligible applicants to

 

finance any of the following with respect to housing or home

 

ownership for low income, very low income, and extremely low income

 

households and with respect to revitalizing downtown areas:

 

     (a) Acquisition of land and buildings.

 

     (b) Rehabilitation.

 

     (c) New construction.

 

     (d) Development and predevelopment costs.

 

     (e) Preservation of existing housing.

 

     (f) Infrastructure improvements, economic development

 

projects, or community facilities. that support housing

 

development.

 

     (g) Insurance.

 

     (h) Operating and replacement reserves.


 

     (i) Down payment assistance.

 

     (j) Security deposit assistance.

 

     (k) Supportive services.

 

     (2) The authority shall expend a portion of the fund for

 

housing for special needs populations including, but not limited

 

to, the homeless, persons with physical or mental handicaps, and

 

persons living in rural or distressed areas.

 

     (3) The authority may make a loan to an eligible applicant

 

from the fund at no interest or at below market interest rates,

 

with or without security, and may make a loan for predevelopment

 

financing.

 

     (4) The authority may provide assistance for housing units for

 

very low income or extremely low income households within

 

multifamily housing that is occupied partly by very low income or

 

extremely low income households and partly by households that do

 

not qualify as very low income or extremely low income households,

 

subject to the rules promulgated by the authority.

 

     (5) The authority may provide funding for projects with 50

 

units or less and provide incentives to encourage project

 

feasibility and mixed income housing projects that respond to

 

community priorities.