2016 -- H 7989 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE LOW AND

MODERATE INCOME HOUSING ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Maldonado, Morin, Carson, Barros, and Carnevale

     Date Introduced: March 24, 2016

     Referred To: House Municipal Government

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     WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, fourteen cities and towns have less than five percent

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affordable housing; and

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     WHEREAS, Only five of the state's 39 cities and towns, Central Falls, Newport, New

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Shoreham, Providence and Woonsocket, have met the state-mandated ten percent affordable

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housing threshold, with many of the state's cities and towns seemingly disregarding the

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benchmark; and

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     WHEREAS, There exists a high concentration of poverty in the cities of Central Falls,

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Providence, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket; and

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     WHEREAS, There is a paramount need for millennial housing for young professionals to

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stabilize and grow cities such as Central Falls, yet there are very few affordable home ownership

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opportunities, and the majority of housing consists of rental units in triple-deckers owned by

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absentee landlords; and

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     WHEREAS, According to the Housing Works Report, across the United States, 45

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percent of Latino households own their own homes, but in Rhode Island that number is drastically

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lower at 26 percent; and

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     WHEREAS, Rhode Island also has the lowest non-white homeownership rate in the

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United States and of the overall homeownership rate of 60 percent, only 32 percent of that

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number is non-whites. Rhode Island was given an "F" rating by the Corporation for Enterprise

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Development for this disparity; and

 

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     WHEREAS, Although redlining, the practice of limiting lending in certain

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neighborhoods regardless of the individual's creditworthiness, is banned by federal law, it

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continues to plague our state's minority neighborhoods; and

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     WHEREAS, It is essential that these institutional practices, discriminatory actions, and

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public policies be addressed and that solutions be found; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created

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consisting of fourteen (14) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island

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House of Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by

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the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the President of the RI Builders Association, or

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designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of Rhode Island Housing, or designee; one

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of whom shall be the President of the Housing Network of Rhode Island, or designee; one of

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whom shall be the Board Chair of Grow Smart RI, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chief

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Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors, or designee; one of whom shall be

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the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, or designee; four (4) of

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whom shall be members of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, two (2) of whom shall

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be residents of a Rhode Island city or town with a population of 35,000 or more residents, and

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two (2) of whom shall be residents of a Rhode Island city or town with a population of less than

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35,000 residents, all of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House; and one of whom

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shall be the Executive Director of Pawtucket-Central Falls Development, or designee.

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     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory

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commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly

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resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu

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of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which

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is entitled to the appointment consents to the member of the general public.

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     The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study of the Rhode

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Island Low and Moderate Income Housing Act including, but not limited to a review of:

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     State-wide data for low and moderate income housing by city and town;

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     Cities' and towns' strategic economic and housing plans;

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     The Brookings Institute reports and other relevant data referencing affordable housing;

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     and

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     Cities' and towns' compliance, performance, and barriers to implementation; and

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     The commission shall provide recommendations for aiding cities and towns to

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     successfully meet requirements of the Act.

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     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

 

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the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select a chairperson from among the

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legislators.

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     Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

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     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

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     All departments and agencies of the state, shall furnish such advice and information,

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documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

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desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

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     The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters

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for said commission; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

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House of Representatives no later than February 11, 2017, and said commission shall expire on

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June 11, 2017.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE LOW AND

MODERATE INCOME HOUSING ACT

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     This resolution would create a fourteen (14) member special legislative study

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commission whose purpose it would be to make a comprehensive study on implementation of the

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Low and Moderate Income Housing Act in the State of Rhode Island, and who would report back

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to the House of Representatives no later than February 11, 2017, and whose life would expire on

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June 11, 2017.

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