2022 -- H 7948 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Potter, and Speakman

     Date Introduced: March 07, 2022

     Referred To: House Municipal Government & Housing

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 45-53-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-53 entitled "Low and

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Moderate Income Housing" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     45-53-3. Definitions.

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     The following words, wherever used in this chapter, unless a different meaning clearly

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appears from the context, have the following meanings:

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     (1) "Affordable housing plan" means a component of a housing element, as defined in §

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45-22.2-4(1), to meet housing needs in a city or town that is prepared in accordance with guidelines

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adopted by the state planning council, and/or to meet the provisions of § 45-53-4(b)(1) and (c).

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     (2) "Approved affordable housing plan" means an affordable housing plan that has been

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approved by the director of administration as meeting the guidelines for the local comprehensive

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plan as promulgated by the state planning council; provided, however, that state review and

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approval, for plans submitted by December 31, 2004, shall not be contingent on the city or town

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having completed, adopted, or amended its comprehensive plan as provided for in § 45-22.2–8, §

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45-22.2–9, or § 45-22.2–12.

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     (3) "Area median income" means area median income figures as generated by the U.S.

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Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD").

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     (3)(4) "Comprehensive plan" means a comprehensive plan adopted and approved by a city

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or town pursuant to chapters 22.2 and 22.3 of this title.

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     (4)(5) "Consistent with local needs" means reasonable in view of the state need for low and

 

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moderate income housing, considered with the number of low income persons in the city or town

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affected and the need to protect the health and safety of the occupants of the proposed housing or

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of the residence of the city or town, to promote better site and building design in relation to the

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surroundings, or to preserve open spaces, and if the local zoning or land use ordinances,

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requirements, and regulations are applied as equally as possible to both subsidized and

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unsubsidized housing. Local zoning and land use ordinances, requirements, or regulations are

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consistent with local needs when imposed by a city or town council after a comprehensive hearing

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in a city or town where:

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     (i) Low or moderate income housing exists which is: (A) in the case of an urban city or

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town which has at least 5,000 occupied year-round rental units and the units, as reported in the

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latest decennial census of the city or town, comprise twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the year-

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round housing units, and is in excess of fifteen percent (15%) of the total occupied year-round

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rental units; or (B) in the case of all other cities or towns, is in excess of ten percent (10%) of the

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year-round housing units reported in the census.

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     (ii) The city or town has promulgated zoning or land use ordinances, requirements, and

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regulations to implement a comprehensive plan which has been adopted and approved pursuant to

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chapters 22.2 and 22.3 of this title, and the housing element of the comprehensive plan provides

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for low and moderate income housing in excess of either ten percent (10%) of the year-round

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housing units or fifteen percent (15%) of the occupied year-round rental housing units as provided

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in subdivision (4)(i).

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     (5)(6) "Infeasible" means any condition brought about by any single factor or combination

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of factors, as a result of limitations imposed on the development by conditions attached to the

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approval of the comprehensive permit, to the extent that it makes it impossible for a public agency,

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nonprofit organization, or limited equity housing cooperative to proceed in building or operating

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low or moderate income housing without financial loss, within the limitations set by the subsidizing

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agency of government, on the size or character of the development, on the amount or nature of the

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subsidy, or on the tenants, rentals, and income permissible, and without substantially changing the

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rent levels and unit sizes proposed by the public agency, nonprofit organization, or limited equity

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housing cooperative.

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     (6)(7) "Letter of eligibility" means a letter issued by the Rhode Island housing and

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mortgage finance corporation in accordance with § 42-55-5.3(a).

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     (7)(8) "Local board" means any town or city official, zoning board of review, planning

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board or commission, board of appeal or zoning enforcement officer, local conservation

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commission, historic district commission, or other municipal board having supervision of the

 

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construction of buildings or the power of enforcing land use regulations, such as subdivision, or

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zoning laws.

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     (8)(9) "Local review board" means the planning board as defined by § 45-22.2-4(20), or if

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designated by ordinance as the board to act on comprehensive permits for the town, the zoning

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board of review established pursuant to § 45-24-56.

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     (9)(10) "Low or moderate income housing" means:

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     (i) any housing whether built or operated by any public agency or any nonprofit

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organization or by any limited equity housing cooperative or any private developer, that is

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subsidized by a federal, state, or municipal government subsidy under any program to assist the

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construction or rehabilitation of housing affordable to low or moderate income households, as

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defined in the applicable federal or state statute, or local ordinance and that will remain affordable

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through a land lease and/or deed restriction for ninety-nine (99) years or such other period that is

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either agreed to by the applicant and town or prescribed by the federal, state, or municipal

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government subsidy program but that is not less than thirty (30) years from initial occupancy.

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     (ii) Mobile and manufactured homes as defined in chapter 44 of title 31 (“mobile and

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manufactured homes”), shall be counted towards meeting a municipalities affordable housing goals

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if the following conditions are met:

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     (A) The owner of the mobile or manufactured home is also the owner of the land on which

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the mobile or manufactured home is situated and utilizes the home as their primary residence; or

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     (B) The mobile or manufactured home is located within a resident owned community; and

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     (C) The mobile or manufactured home meets the standards of the National Manufacturing

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Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act.

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     (D) Mobile and manufactured homes eligible to be counted toward a municipality’s

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affordable housing goal under this section are counted as 0.5 units in each year for which

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documentation is provided to Rhode Island housing that affirms compliance with § 45-53-10(ii).

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     (10)(11) "Meeting housing needs" means adoption of the implementation program of an

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approved affordable housing plan and the absence of unreasonable denial of applications that are

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made pursuant to an approved affordable housing plan in order to accomplish the purposes and

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expectations of the approved affordable housing plan.

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     (11)(12) "Municipal government subsidy" means assistance that is made available through

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a city or town program sufficient to make housing affordable, as affordable housing is defined in §

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42-128-8.1(d)(1); such assistance may include, but is not limited to, direct financial support,

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abatement of taxes, waiver of fees and charges, and approval of density bonuses and/or internal

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subsidies, and any combination of forms of assistance.

 

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     (13) "Resident owned community" means a mobile and manufactured home community in

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which the owners of the units also own the land beneath the mobile and manufactured home

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community through a member run cooperative.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 45-53 of the General Laws entitled "Low and Moderate Income

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Housing" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     45-53-3.1. Formula to determine additional units as low and moderate income

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housing.

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     (a) In calculating the number of year-round housing units towards meeting the goals of an

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excess of ten percent (10%) of the year-round housing units or an excess of fifteen percent (15%)

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of the total year-round rental units required pursuant to § 45-53-3(5)(i), housing units shall be

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counted towards meeting the low and moderate income requirements as follows:

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Area Median Income (AMI) of Deed Restriction: Weighting low and moderate income

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housing unit:

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Above 100% and up to and including 120% AMI 0.5 Units

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Above 80% and up to and include 100% AMI 0.75

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Above 60% and up to and including 80% 1.0

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Above 30% and up to and including 60% AMI 1.5

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Up to and including 30% AMI 2.0

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     (b) Mobile and manufactured homes may be included and counted as low and moderate

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income housing units, subject to the definitions and limitations set forth in § 45-53-3 and 45-53-

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3.1 regardless of the income of residents.

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     (c) Weighting formula for low and moderate income housing units shall apply to housing

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units built and issued a certificate of occupancy after January 1, 2023. All units counted as low and

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moderate income housing prior to January 1, 2023 shall retain their value of 1.0 per unit, regardless

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of the area median income target of the deed restriction.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage and have prospective application only.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING

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     This act would allow mobile and manufactured homes to be included and counted as low

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and moderate income housing units pursuant to the definitions and limitations set forth in chapter

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53 of title 45 relating to low and moderate income housing.

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     This act would take effect upon passage and have prospective application only.

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