| Chapter 384 |
| 2022 -- H 7943 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/30/2022 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING |
Introduced By: Representatives Baginski, and Potter |
| Date Introduced: March 07, 2022 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Chapter 45-53 of the General Laws entitled "Low and Moderate Income |
| Housing" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
| 45-53-10. Repurposing of vacant schools for affordable housing program. |
| (a) There is hereby established the repurposing of school buildings for an affordable |
| housing program (the “program”). The program shall be administered by the secretary of housing |
| as set forth herein. |
| (b) The purpose of the program shall be to provide guidance and assistance in the |
| repurposing of vacant and unused school buildings as identified and existing as of July 1 of each |
| year, commencing October 1, 2022. |
| (c) The department of elementary and secondary education (the “department”) shall, |
| commencing on October 1, 2022, on an annual basis, provide to the speaker of the house, the |
| president of the senate, and the secretary of housing, a list of all school buildings which that have |
| been abandoned or are no longer being used by a school district. |
| (d)(1) In the case of a municipality which that has less than ten percent (10%) low- or |
| moderate-income housing as defined in § 45-53-3, the municipality shall provide the department |
| with a complete list of buildings abandoned or no longer being used by the school district for the |
| purposes of conducting a feasibility assessment to repurpose the building as affordable housing. In |
| the case of a municipality which that has greater than ten percent (10%) low- and moderate-income |
| housing as defined in § 45-53-3, the municipality may offer to the department a list of buildings |
| abandoned or no longer being utilized by the school district by an affirmative vote of a majority of |
| both the governing body of the school board and the municipality, and have voted to be willing to |
| offer the former school building for a feasibility assessment for use by the program. In the case of |
| buildings being abandoned or no longer used by a charter school which that owns the school |
| building in question, an affirmative vote of the governing body of the charter school and/or mayoral |
| academy shall be required. The department shall also include and identify in the list those school |
| buildings which that the department anticipates will become abandoned or no longer used by a |
| school district within the next six (6) months following the issuance of the list. |
| (2) The secretary of housing shall conduct an assessment, in conjunction with a task force |
| comprised of the Rhode Island housing and mortgage and finance corporation, the department of |
| environmental management, the department of health, a fire marshal, the local building inspector, |
| and the local planning office, into its feasibility to be repurposed as affordable housing, and the |
| anticipated costs of renovating the building for that intended purpose. This assessment shall be |
| completed within one hundred and fifty (150) days after being notified by the task force of the |
| availability of a vacant building available pursuant to this section. |
| (3) Once a building is determined by the task force to be appropriate for repurposing as |
| affordable housing, the office of housing and community development shall actively identify and |
| invite prospective developers to submit an application to the program, with the goal of repurposing |
| the building into affordable housing. |
| (e) The office of housing and community development shall maintain on its website a |
| separate page related to the repurposing of buildings for the affordable housing program. This |
| website shall contain a listing of all buildings for which a feasibility assessment was conducted and |
| the outcome of the assessment, including a general statement of the condition of the property, an |
| estimate of the types of renovations, if any, which that must be performed to the property, a copy |
| of the feasibility assessment, and an estimate of the costs thereof. Provided, it shall be made clear |
| on the website that these are estimates to repurpose used buildings, and that neither the state, the |
| corporation, the division, the commission, or any instrumentality of the state or of a municipality |
| or school district shall be liable for any estimates which that are incorrect. |
| (f) The office of housing and community development shall seek to assist and facilitate |
| persons and developers who or that want to repurpose former buildings as affordable housing. This |
| assistance may include, but need not be limited to, technical and financial assistance, all to assist |
| in the repurposing of the school building. |
| (g) The Rhode Island department of education shall promulgate rules and regulations for |
| the implementation and enforcement of this section. |
| (h) The secretary of housing shall provide an annual report on or before December 31, |
| commencing with calendar year 2023, including, but not limited to, the number of schools that are |
| vacant and include a status report of any development and/or feasibility to repurpose a vacant |
| building. |
| (i) As used herein, the term "affordable housing" means housing which that meets the |
| definition for low- or moderate-income housing in § 45-53-3. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC005359/SUB A |
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