Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 - Introduced
PAG LIN
S.C.R. ________ H.C.R. ________
1 1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY BOLKCOM
1 3 A Concurrent Resolution requesting the legislative
1 4 council to establish a multigenerational and
1 5 sustainable housing task force to address the
1 6 barriers to citizens aging=in=place and to
1 7 facilitate multigenerational or sustainable
1 8 living arrangements in communities across the
1 9 state.
1 10 WHEREAS, "aging=in=place" means a person's ability
1 11 to grow older without having to move from the person's
1 12 home; and
1 13 WHEREAS, 14.7 percent of Iowa's population is age
1 14 65 or older, the fifth highest percentage in the
1 15 United States, and 2.6 percent of Iowa's population is
1 16 age 85 or older, the third highest percentage in the
1 17 United States; and
1 18 WHEREAS, it is projected that by the year 2030,
1 19 22.4 percent of Iowa's population will be age 65 or
1 20 older and the growing proportion of older adults will
1 21 pose significant challenges to Iowa's economic,
1 22 physical, and social infrastructures; and
1 23 WHEREAS, the pleasure of living as independently as
1 24 possible in a familiar environment throughout one's
1 25 lifetime is an important quality of life component for
1 26 Iowans who are aging or who have disabilities, and
1 27 should be supported by the development of explicit
1 28 public policy; and
1 29 WHEREAS, multigenerational or sustainable housing
1 30 serves the dual purpose of facilitating the provision
2 1 of support services to older adults and children and
2 2 adults with disabilities by family caregivers while
2 3 additionally providing shelter for families struggling
2 4 with the scarcity of accessible and affordable
2 5 housing; and
2 6 WHEREAS, it is important to identify structural
2 7 modifications to housing and other infrastructure that
2 8 will accommodate the physical, sensory, and functional
2 9 limitations and needs of older adults and persons with
2 10 disabilities; and
2 11 WHEREAS, modifications to existing structures will
2 12 require individualized assessments by architectural,
2 13 medical, and construction professionals properly
2 14 trained to identify barriers for and medical
2 15 conditions of older adults and persons with
2 16 disabilities and suggest viable modifications to
2 17 accommodate these needs; and
2 18 WHEREAS, if new construction projects and
2 19 renovations to existing structures incorporate
2 20 principles of universal design, energy efficiency, and
2 21 renewable resources which will foster environments
2 22 that are usable by all people without the need for
2 23 adaptation or specialized design, the projects and
2 24 renovations will facilitate future multigenerational
2 25 or sustainable living and improve the likelihood that
2 26 older adults and persons with disabilities can
2 27 age=in=place or remain in their own homes with a high
2 28 quality of life and independence; and
2 29 WHEREAS, the public should continue to be educated
2 30 about the benefits of universal design, energy
3 1 efficiency, and renewable resources and the use of
3 2 those principles to facilitate multigenerational or
3 3 sustainable living and allow older adults and persons
3 4 with disabilities to age=in=place or remain in their
3 5 own homes; NOW THEREFORE,
3 6 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF
3 7 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the legislative
3 8 council is requested to establish a multigenerational
3 9 or sustainable living task force for the 2009 and 2010
3 10 interims to address the barriers to older Iowans and
3 11 persons with disabilities aging=in=place and to
3 12 facilitate multigenerational or sustainable living
3 13 arrangements in communities; and
3 14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force should
3 15 consult with, or include as members, representatives
3 16 of older Iowans and persons with disabilities,
3 17 community developers, architects, or planners who have
3 18 expertise in universal design or are designated as
3 19 certified aging=in=place specialists, contractors with
3 20 experience developing multigenerational or sustainable
3 21 homes, contractors with experience renovating existing
3 22 homes to facilitate aging=in=place, trade or
3 23 professional organizations involved in developing
3 24 housing, representatives of the Iowa department of
3 25 economic development, the Iowa finance authority, and
3 26 the university of Iowa clinical law programs, and
3 27 others with expertise in design or construction and
3 28 services targeted to the needs of older persons and
3 29 persons with disabilities; and
3 30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall
4 1 be directed to do all of the following during the 2009
4 2 interim:
4 3 1. Examine building and zoning codes at the local
4 4 and state levels that present barriers to building a
4 5 new home or modifying an existing dwelling into a
4 6 multigenerational or sustainable home.
4 7 2. Identify any previous or ongoing state
4 8 legislative or local initiatives to facilitate the
4 9 creation of multigenerational or sustainable homes.
4 10 3. Examine policies, funding mechanisms, and tax
4 11 incentives to encourage and support multigenerational
4 12 or sustainable housing.
4 13 4. Review and propose amendments to Iowa's
4 14 consolidated plan outlining initiatives for the
4 15 federal community development block grant to maximize
4 16 opportunities to fund the creation of
4 17 multigenerational or sustainable homes.
4 18 5. Identify skills, credentials, and training
4 19 needed to certify and inspect existing structures and
4 20 new construction for the use of universal design and
4 21 sustainable principles, methods, and materials.
4 22 6. Compile examples of best practice in design,
4 23 features, products, and materials and their associated
4 24 costs to share with architectural and building
4 25 professionals and the general public.
4 26 7. Explore the implementation of an Iowa living
4 27 laboratory to construct new housing in five regions of
4 28 the state through a design competition utilizing best
4 29 practices in universal design and sustainability to
4 30 construct single=family, duplex, condominium,
5 1 free=standing multiapartment, or rehabilitated
5 2 dwellings funded with federal community development or
5 3 housing funding or other funds, programs, or
5 4 incentives available at the state or local level.
5 5 8. Examine the creation of a state housing
5 6 authority to centralize planning and funding of
5 7 government housing initiatives to ensure a better
5 8 coordinated and cost=effective system; and
5 9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall
5 10 be directed to develop recommendations regarding the
5 11 following during the 2010 interim:
5 12 1. The establishment of a statewide residential
5 13 building code that incorporates at least minimum
5 14 universal design, energy efficiency, and
5 15 sustainability standards for new construction or for
5 16 modifications to an existing structure when state or
5 17 federal funding is utilized for new construction or
5 18 modifications to housing.
5 19 2. The identification of a minimum set of skills,
5 20 credentials, and training needed to implement a
5 21 voluntary assessment and certification program on
5 22 universal design or sustainable housing construction
5 23 and modification.
5 24 3. The funding and implementation of an Iowa
5 25 living laboratory on universal design and sustainable
5 26 housing to be showcased through local housing shows or
5 27 similar events or demonstration projects in each
5 28 region in the state.
5 29 4. The preparation and dissemination of
5 30 educational materials relating to best practices in
6 1 design, features, products, materials, and costs
6 2 regarding universal design and sustainable housing to
6 3 architects, developers, contractors, other building
6 4 professionals, and the general public using all
6 5 available media, technologies, and alternate formats.
6 6 5. The establishment of an Iowa housing authority
6 7 within state government.
6 8 LSB 2289SS 83
6 9 jp/nh/14