House File 2481 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY REICHERT, SCHUELLER,
MILLER, and WISE
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act creating an Iowa housing council and making
2 appropriations.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 6354HH 81
5 tm/sh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 16.191 IOWA HOUSING COUNCIL.
1 2 1. An Iowa housing council is created, consisting of
1 3 twenty=one voting members, and four ex officio, nonvoting
1 4 members. Not more than eleven of the voting members shall be
1 5 from the same political party. At least one voting member at
1 6 all times shall have been less than thirty years of age at the
1 7 time of initial appointment. The governor shall appoint the
1 8 voting members of the council listed in subsection 3,
1 9 paragraphs "m" through "u", for a term of four years beginning
1 10 and ending as provided by section 69.19, subject to
1 11 confirmation by the senate, and the governor's appointments
1 12 shall include persons knowledgeable of housing issues. A
1 13 vacancy on the board shall be filled in the same manner as
1 14 regular appointments are made for the unexpired portion of the
1 15 regular term.
1 16 2. The four ex officio, nonvoting members shall be
1 17 legislative members that are two state senators, one appointed
1 18 by the president of the senate, after consultation with the
1 19 majority leader of the senate, and one appointed by the
1 20 minority leader of the senate, after consultation with the
1 21 president of the senate, from their respective parties; and
1 22 two state representatives, one appointed by the speaker and
1 23 one appointed by the minority leader of the house of
1 24 representatives from their respective parties. The
1 25 legislative members shall serve two=year terms that coincide
1 26 with the legislative biennium.
1 27 3. The twenty=one voting members of the council shall
1 28 consist of all of the following:
1 29 a. The director of the department of economic development
1 30 or the director's designee.
1 31 b. The director of the department of education or the
1 32 director's designee.
1 33 c. The director of human services or the director's
1 34 designee.
1 35 d. The attorney general or the attorney general's
2 1 designee.
2 2 e. The director of the department of human rights or the
2 3 director's designee.
2 4 f. The director of the department of elder affairs or the
2 5 director's designee.
2 6 g. The director of public health or the director's
2 7 designee.
2 8 h. The director of the department of corrections or the
2 9 director's designee.
2 10 i. The commissioner of public safety or the director's
2 11 designee.
2 12 j. The director of the department of veterans affairs or
2 13 the director's designee.
2 14 k. The director of the Iowa finance authority or the
2 15 director's designee.
2 16 l. The director of the department of commerce or the
2 17 director's designee.
2 18 m. A representative of community colleges selected by the
2 19 Iowa association of community college presidents.
2 20 n. A representative from a statewide housing construction
2 21 organization selected by the governor.
2 22 o. A representative from an organization focused on
2 23 housing construction for minorities selected by the governor.
2 24 p. A representative from an organization advocating for
2 25 cities selected by the governor.
2 26 q. A representative from an organization advocating for
2 27 counties selected by the governor.
2 28 r. A representative from an organization advocating for
2 29 realtors of Iowa selected by the governor.
2 30 s. A representative with expertise in mental health and
2 31 the needs of persons with disabilities selected by the
2 32 governor.
2 33 t. A representative from an organization advocating on
2 34 housing issues in urban areas selected by the governor.
2 35 u. A representative from an organization advocating on
3 1 housing issues in rural areas selected by the governor.
3 2 4. Members of the council shall be allowed their actual
3 3 and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their
3 4 duties. All expenses shall be paid from appropriations for
3 5 those purposes, except that legislative members shall be paid
3 6 their expenses and per diem as provided in section 2.10. A
3 7 voting member of the council may also be eligible to receive
3 8 compensation as provided in section 7E.6.
3 9 5. The Iowa finance authority shall provide administrative
3 10 services to the Iowa housing council.
3 11 6. The council shall form at least five subcommittees to
3 12 concentrate on five areas of housing designated in subsection
3 13 7. Subcommittee membership shall consist of members of the
3 14 council and any additional members deemed necessary by the
3 15 council. The council may decide to form additional
3 16 subcommittees as other needs arise. The subcommittees shall
3 17 develop proposed legislation and policy dealing with housing
3 18 issues that, upon approval by a majority of the voting members
3 19 of the council, shall be forwarded as a recommendation to the
3 20 governor and the Iowa finance authority.
3 21 7. The council shall form five subcommittees to focus on
3 22 all of the following areas:
3 23 a. Households earning below fifty percent of the median
3 24 income for the state, with particular emphasis on households
3 25 earning below thirty percent of the median income for the
3 26 state.
3 27 b. Low=income seniors and low=income persons with any form
3 28 of disability, including but not limited to physical
3 29 disability, developmental disability, mental illness, co=
3 30 occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders, or
3 31 AIDS and AIDS=related conditions. For purposes of this
3 32 section, "AIDS" and "AIDS=related conditions" mean the same as
3 33 defined in section 141A.1.
3 34 c. Low=income and moderate=income persons unable to afford
3 35 transportation or housing near work, and issues related to
4 1 adequate affordable housing to support economic growth and
4 2 development of a community, including new construction,
4 3 redevelopment, and urban renewal issues.
4 4 d. Low=income persons residing in existing affordable
4 5 housing that is in danger of becoming unaffordable or lost,
4 6 and persons determined to be or at risk of becoming homeless.
4 7 e. Affordable rental housing, access to available
4 8 financing for housing, first time home buyers, and
4 9 relationships between landlords and tenants.
4 10 8. a. The Iowa housing council shall adopt a biennial
4 11 comprehensive plan on housing for purposes of advising the
4 12 governor and the Iowa finance authority on housing issues, and
4 13 providing a resource to help effect changes in policy and
4 14 through legislation on homeless issues.
4 15 b. By January 1, 2009, the first biennial comprehensive
4 16 plan shall be submitted to the general assembly, the governor,
4 17 and the chairpersons of the standing committees on economic
4 18 growth.
4 19 c. A biennial comprehensive plan shall include but not be
4 20 limited to all of the following:
4 21 (1) Funding recommendations for housing construction,
4 22 preservation, rehabilitation, and supportive services where
4 23 necessary, related to the underserved population, including
4 24 focus areas of the subcommittees of the council.
4 25 (2) Recommended state actions that promote the
4 26 construction, preservation, and rehabilitation of affordable
4 27 housing by the private sector, the not=for=profit sector, and
4 28 governmental entities and address any policies and practices
4 29 that impede its promotion of construction, preservation, and
4 30 rehabilitation of affordable housing.
4 31 (3) Specific suggestions, options, and incentives for
4 32 local governments and municipalities to develop their own
4 33 comprehensive housing plan for the community.
4 34 9. There is appropriated annually from the general fund of
4 35 the state to the Iowa finance authority fifty thousand dollars
5 1 for administrative purposes related to this section.
5 2 Sec. 2. TRANSITION. For the transitional period beginning
5 3 July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007, the composition of the
5 4 voting members of the council shall be determined by the
5 5 governor and shall be comprised of members of the homelessness
5 6 advisory committee.
5 7 EXPLANATION
5 8 This bill creates an Iowa housing council and makes an
5 9 appropriation.
5 10 The bill creates an Iowa housing council consisting of
5 11 twenty=one voting members, and four ex officio, nonvoting
5 12 members. The bill provides that members of the council shall
5 13 be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the
5 14 performance of their duties and may be eligible to receive
5 15 compensation. The bill provides that the Iowa finance
5 16 authority shall provide administrative services to the Iowa
5 17 housing council.
5 18 The bill requires the council to form at least five
5 19 subcommittees to concentrate on five certain areas of housing.
5 20 Subcommittee membership shall consist of members of the
5 21 council and any additional members deemed necessary by the
5 22 council. The bill requires the subcommittees to develop
5 23 proposed legislation and policy dealing with housing issues
5 24 that, upon approval by a majority of the council, shall be
5 25 forwarded as a recommendation to the governor and the Iowa
5 26 finance authority.
5 27 The bill requires the Iowa housing council to adopt a
5 28 biennial comprehensive plan on housing for purposes of
5 29 advising the governor and the Iowa finance authority on
5 30 housing issues, and providing a resource to help effect
5 31 changes in policy and through legislation on homeless issues.
5 32 The bill requires the first biennial comprehensive plan to be
5 33 submitted to the general assembly, the governor, and the
5 34 chairpersons of the standing committees on economic growth in
5 35 both houses by January 1, 2009. The bill provides that a
6 1 biennial comprehensive plan shall include funding
6 2 recommendations for housing construction, preservation,
6 3 rehabilitation, and supportive services where necessary,
6 4 related to the underserved population, including focus areas
6 5 of the subcommittees of the council; recommended state actions
6 6 that promote the construction, preservation, and
6 7 rehabilitation of affordable housing by the private sector,
6 8 the not=for=profit sector, and governmental entities and
6 9 address any policies and practices that impede its promotion
6 10 of construction, preservation, and rehabilitation of
6 11 affordable housing; and specific suggestions, options, and
6 12 incentives for local governments and municipalities to develop
6 13 their own comprehensive housing plan for the community.
6 14 The bill appropriates annually from the general fund of the
6 15 state to the Iowa finance authority $50,000 for administrative
6 16 purposes related to the council.
6 17 The bill provides that, for the transitional period
6 18 beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007, the
6 19 composition of the voting members of the council shall be
6 20 determined by the governor and shall be comprised of members
6 21 of the homelessness advisory committee.
6 22 LSB 6354HH 81
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