HB2132: Workforce housing; locality may offer housing assistance grants to school division personnel.


HOUSE BILL NO. 2132
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
on February 6, 2009)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Miller, J.H.)
A BILL to amend and reenact 15.2-958.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to housing for local employees.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That 15.2-958.2 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

15.2-958.2. Grants for homeownership; workforce housing.

A. In order to ensure its competitiveness as an employer, a locality may, by ordinance, provide for the use of funds, other than state funds, to provide home-ownership grants to employees of the locality, employees of the school board and employees of constitutional officers, to purchase their primary residences in the locality. The ordinance shall require that individual grants not exceed $25,000 per employee, nor lifetime cumulative grants exceed $25,000 per employee. Any such grants issued shall be subject to the Virginia Housing and Development Authority regional sales price and household income limitations. The ordinance may establish such other terms and conditions to ensure the integrity of the home-ownership grant program.

B. In addition to the homeownership grants authorized in subsection A, a locality may by ordinance, and in cooperation with the local school division, offer residential housing assistance grants in amounts not to exceed those permitted in subsection A and, with the local school division, enter into pubic-private partnerships and other arrangements to provide affordable workforce housing alternatives to school division personnel.

HOUSE BILL NO. 2132
Offered January 14, 2009
Prefiled January 13, 2009
A BILL to amend and reenact 15.2-958.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to housing for local employees.
Patron-- Miller, J.H.
Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That 15.2-958.2 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

15.2-958.2. Grants for home ownership; workforce housing.

A. In order to ensure its competitiveness as an employer, a locality may, by ordinance, provide for the use of funds, other than state funds, to provide home-ownership grants to employees of the locality, employees of the school board and employees of constitutional officers, to purchase their primary residences in the locality. The ordinance shall require that individual grants not exceed $25,000 per employee, nor lifetime cumulative grants exceed $25,000 per employee. Any such grants issued shall be subject to the Virginia Housing and Development Authority regional sales price and household income limitations. The ordinance may establish such other terms and conditions to ensure the integrity of the home-ownership grant program.

B. In addition to the authority granted under subsection A, local school boards, in cooperation with the local governing body, may pursue housing options for its employees including the provision of workforce housing.