2022 -- S 2481 | |
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LC005206 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND HOUSING | |
RESOURCES ACT OF 1998 | |
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Introduced By: Senators Acosta, Bell, Kallman, and Cano | |
Date Introduced: March 01, 2022 | |
Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Sections 42-128-6, 42-128-7 and 42-128-8 of the General Laws in Chapter |
2 | 42-128 entitled "Rhode Island Housing Resources Act of 1998" are hereby amended to read as |
3 | follows: |
4 | 42-128-6. Commission -- Membership and terms -- Officers -- Expenses -- Meetings. |
5 | (a)(1) Membership. The commission shall have twenty-eight (28) members as follows: the |
6 | directors of departments of administration, business regulation, elderly affairs, health, human |
7 | services, behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, the chairperson of the |
8 | Rhode Island housing and mortgage finance corporation, and the attorney general, shall be ex |
9 | officio members; the president of the Rhode Island Bankers Association, or the designee of the |
10 | president; the president of the Rhode Island Mortgage Banker's Association, or the designee of the |
11 | president; the president of the Rhode Island Realtors Association, or the designee of the president; |
12 | the executive director of the Rhode Island Housing Network; the executive director of the Rhode |
13 | Island Coalition for the Homeless; the president of the Rhode Island Association of Executive |
14 | Directors for Housing, or the designee of the president; the executive director of operation stand |
15 | down; and thirteen (13) members who have knowledge of, and have a demonstrated interest in, |
16 | housing issues as they affect low-and moderate-income people, appointed by the governor with the |
17 | advice and consent of the senate: one of whom shall be the chairperson, one of whom shall be the |
18 | representative of the homeless; one of whom shall be a representative of a community development |
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1 | corporation; one of whom shall be the representative of an agency addressing lead poisoning issues; |
2 | one of whom shall be a local planner; one of whom shall be a local building official; one of whom |
3 | shall be a representative of fair housing interests; one of whom shall be representative of an agency |
4 | advocating the interest of racial minorities; one of whom shall be a representative of the Rhode |
5 | Island Builders Association; one of whom shall be a representative of insurers a Rhode Island city |
6 | or town with a population below twenty-five thousand (25,000) people and with a median family |
7 | income less than forty thousand dollars ($40,000), according to data from the United States Census |
8 | Bureau; one of whom shall be a representative of a community development intermediary that |
9 | provides financing and technical assistance to housing non-profits; one of whom shall be a |
10 | nonprofit developer; and one of whom shall be a senior housing advocate. |
11 | (2) The terms of appointed members shall be three (3) years, except for the original |
12 | appointments, the term of four (4) of whom shall be one year and the term of four (4) of whom |
13 | shall be two (2) years; no member may serve more than two (2) successive terms. |
14 | (b) Officers. The governor shall appoint the chairperson of the commission, who shall not |
15 | be an ex officio member, with the advice and consent of the senate. The commission shall elect |
16 | annually a vice-chairperson, who shall be empowered to preside at meetings in the absence of the |
17 | chairperson, and a secretary. |
18 | (c) Expenses. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall |
19 | be reimbursed for their reasonable actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their |
20 | duties. |
21 | (d) Meetings. Meetings of the commission shall be held upon the call of the chairperson, |
22 | or five (5) members of the commission, or according to a schedule that may be annually established |
23 | by the commission; provided, however, that the commission shall meet at least once quarterly. A |
24 | majority of members of the commission, not including vacancies, shall constitute a quorum, and |
25 | no vacancy in the membership of the commission shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all |
26 | the rights and perform all of the duties of the commission. |
27 | 42-128-7. General powers. |
28 | The commission shall have the following powers, together with all powers incidental to or |
29 | necessary for the performance of those set forth in this chapter: |
30 | (1) To sue and be sued. |
31 | (2) To negotiate and to enter into contracts, agreements, and cooperative agreements with |
32 | agencies and political subdivisions of the state, not-for-profit corporations, for profit corporations, |
33 | and other partnerships, associations and persons for any lawful purpose necessary and desirable to |
34 | effect the purposes of this chapter. |
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1 | (3) To adopt by-laws and rules for the management of its affairs and for the exercise of its |
2 | powers and duties, and to establish the committees, workgroups, and advisory bodies that from |
3 | time to time may be deemed necessary. |
4 | (4) To receive and accept grants or loans as may be made by the Federal government, and |
5 | grants, donations, contributions and payments from other public and private sources. |
6 | (5) To grant or loan funds to agencies and political subdivisions of the state or to private |
7 | groups to effect the purposes of this chapter; provided that, in each funding round, there must be a |
8 | material award that benefits a Rhode Island city or town with a population below twenty-five |
9 | thousand (25,000) people and with a median family income less than forty thousand dollars |
10 | ($40,000), according to data from the United States Census Bureau. |
11 | (6) To secure the cooperation and assistance of the United States and any of its agencies, |
12 | and of the agencies and political subdivisions of this state in the work of the commission. |
13 | (7) To establish, charge, and collect fees and payments for its services. |
14 | 42-128-8. Powers and duties. |
15 | In order to provide housing opportunities for all Rhode Islanders, to maintain the quality |
16 | of housing in Rhode Island, and to coordinate and make effective the housing responsibilities of |
17 | the agencies and subdivisions of the state, the commission shall have the following powers and |
18 | duties: |
19 | (1) Policy, planning and coordination of state housing functions. The commission shall |
20 | have the power and duty: |
21 | (i) To prepare and adopt the state's plans for housing; provided, however, that this provision |
22 | shall not be interpreted to contravene the prerogative of the state planning council to adopt a state |
23 | guide plan for housing. |
24 | (ii) To prepare, adopt, and issue the state's housing policy. |
25 | (iii) To conduct research on and make reports regarding housing issues in the state. |
26 | (iv) To advise the governor and general assembly on housing issues and to coordinate |
27 | housing activities among government agencies and agencies created by state law or providing |
28 | housing services under government programs. |
29 | (2) Establish, implement, and monitor state performance measures and guidelines for |
30 | housing programs. The commission shall have the power and the duty: |
31 | (i) To promulgate performance measures and guidelines for housing programs conducted |
32 | under state law. |
33 | (ii) To monitor and evaluate housing responsibilities established by state law, and to |
34 | establish a process for annual reporting on the outcomes of the programs and investments of the |
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1 | state in housing for low and moderate income people. |
2 | (iii) To hear and resolve disputes pertaining to housing issues. |
3 | (3) Administer the programs pertaining to housing resources that may be assigned by state |
4 | law. The commission shall have the power and duty to administer programs for housing, housing |
5 | services, and community development, including, but not limited to, programs pertaining to: |
6 | (i) Abandoned properties and the remediation of blighting conditions. |
7 | (ii) Lead abatement and to manage a lead hazard abatement program in cooperation with |
8 | the Rhode Island housing and mortgage finance corporation. |
9 | (iii) Services for the homeless. |
10 | (iv) Rental assistance. |
11 | (v) Community development. |
12 | (vi) Outreach, education and technical assistance services. |
13 | (vii) Assistance, including financial support, to nonprofit organizations and community |
14 | development corporations. |
15 | (viii) Tax credits that assist in the provision of housing or foster community development |
16 | or that result in support to nonprofit organizations performing functions to accomplish the purposes |
17 | of this chapter. |
18 | (ix) The Supportive Services Program, the purpose of which is to help prevent and end |
19 | homelessness among those who have experienced long-term homelessness and for whom certain |
20 | services in addition to housing are essential. State funding for this program may leverage other |
21 | resources for the purpose of providing supportive services. Services provided pursuant to this |
22 | subsection may include, but not be limited to: assistance with budgeting and paying rent; access to |
23 | employment; encouraging tenant involvement in facility management and policies; medication |
24 | monitoring and management; daily living skills related to food, housekeeping and socialization; |
25 | counseling to support self-identified goals; referrals to mainstream health, mental health and |
26 | treatment programs; and conflict resolution. |
27 | In the administration of the programs in this subsection, the commission shall award, in |
28 | each funding round, a material award that benefits a Rhode Island city or town with a population |
29 | below twenty-five thousand (25,000) people and with a median family income less than forty |
30 | thousand dollars ($40,000), according to data from the United States Census Bureau. |
31 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND HOUSING | |
RESOURCES ACT OF 1998 | |
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1 | This act would amend the membership of the Rhode Island Housing Resources Act of 1998 |
2 | Commission to exclude a representative of the insurers and replace it with a representative of a |
3 | Rhode Island city or town with a population below twenty-five thousand (25,000) people with a |
4 | median family income of forty thousand (40,000). It would also require a material award to that |
5 | city or town. |
6 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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