Bill Summary for H 294 (2023-2024)

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Summary date: 

Mar 7 2023

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2023-2024 Session
House Bill 294 (Public) Filed Tuesday, March 7, 2023
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE NORTH CAROLINA HOUSING CHOICE GRANT TO EMPOWER AND ENCOURAGE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL HOUSING NEEDS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
Intro. by Alston, G. Brown, Hardister.

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Bill summary

Appropriates $30 million dollars from the General Fund to the Department of Commerce (Department) in recurring funds for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to be used for the North Carolina Housing Choice Grant program, which will award grant funds annually to counties and municipalities in accordance with specified criteria in the act to be used by the grant recipients for local water, sewer, or transportation infrastructure projects. Grants awarded to each local government unit are in the amount of up to $1 million unless the eligible grantees exceed the number of available funds in a given year. If that occurs, directs the Department to distribute the funds on a per capita basis based on population of the grant recipient. Specifies that unawarded grant funds do not revert and are only available to the Department to award in future years. Specifies that local government applicants may only receive one grant under this section every five years. 

Specifies the following grant eligibility requirements for applicant counties or municipalities: (1) a population of 100,000 or less, as of the most recent decennial census, and has designated at least five zoning districts of reasonable size in which multifamily housing is a permitted use or (2) has a population of more than 100,000, as of the most recent decennial census, and has designated at least 10 zoning districts of reasonable size in which multifamily housing is a permitted use and at least four of seven specified criteria apply to the designated multifamily zoning districts. Sets forth application deadline of April 1. Sets forth definitions of accessory dwelling unit, middle housing, and multifamily housing.

Effective December 1, 2023.