State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB4074ham001

 










                                             LRB9112134STsbam

 1                    AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4074

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill 4074 as follows:
 3    by replacing everything after the enacting  clause  with  the
 4    following:

 5        "Section  1.  Short  title.  This Act may be cited as the
 6    Live Near Work Act.

 7        Section 5. Purposes. The purposes of this Act are:
 8        (1)  To expand home ownership  opportunities  to  working
 9    individuals and families.
10        (2)  To encourage employers, counties, and municipalities
11    to invest in employer-assisted housing.
12        (3)  To  provide  matching grants to employers, counties,
13    municipalities, and nonprofit housing  organizations  engaged
14    in employer-assisted housing.
15        (4)  To  reduce  traffic  congestion by reducing employee
16    commute times.

17        Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
18        "Authority"  means  the  Illinois   Housing   Development
19    Authority.
20        "County" means any county within the State of Illinois.
21        "Employee"  means  a  salaried  or  hourly individual who
 
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 1    works for an employer and whose median household income  does
 2    not exceed 100% of the area median income.
 3        "Employer"  means a business with operations in the State
 4    of Illinois, including private, nonprofit, or governmental.
 5        "Employer-assisted  housing  program"  means  a   program
 6    through  which  employers assist their employees in acquiring
 7    homes in close proximity to their jobs.
 8        "Fund" means the Live Near Work Fund.
 9        "Median income" means the  United  States  Department  of
10    Housing and Urban Development area median income.
11        "Municipality"  means  any city, village, or incorporated
12    town within the State of Illinois.
13        "Nonprofit" or "nonprofit housing organization" means any
14    organization that the Internal Revenue Service of the  United
15    States  Department  of  the Treasury has ruled is exempt from
16    income  taxation  under  paragraph  (3),  (4),  or   (5)   of
17    subsection (c) of Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of
18    1986  and  has  as  a  stated  purpose  to produce, maintain,
19    operate, or promote affordable housing.

20        Section 15. Live Near Work Fund. The Authority  must  use
21    moneys  appropriated  to  it  from the Live Near Work Fund, a
22    special fund created in the State treasury, to implement  and
23    administer the purposes of this Act.

24        Section 20. Powers.
25        (a)  The  Authority is authorized to make grants from the
26    Fund to employers, municipalities,  counties,  and  nonprofit
27    housing  organizations  to  develop  and  implement employer-
28    assisted housing programs  for  work  forces  throughout  the
29    State.
30        (b)  The   Authority   shall   adopt  rules  establishing
31    standards and  procedures  for  determining  eligibility  for
32    these grants, regulating the use of funds under these grants,
 
                            -3-              LRB9112134STsbam
 1    and   periodically  reporting  the  results  and  impacts  of
 2    activities funded by these grants.
 3        (c)  The  Authority  shall  work  with  stakeholders   to
 4    develop  criteria  to  attract  and  evaluate  proposals from
 5    employers, housing agencies, counties, or municipalities,  or
 6    any combination of these.
 7        (d)  The  Authority  may  target  programs  that  benefit
 8    employees earning less than 80% of the area median income.
 9        (e)  The  Authority  may  use  its  discretion,  based on
10    criteria developed under subsection (c) of this  Section,  to
11    allow  employees  earning  less  than 120% of the area median
12    income to be eligible.

13        Section 25. Matching funds. Grants from the Fund  may  be
14    used  to  match employer investments toward housing resources
15    for participating employees. The Authority must  approve  the
16    employer's  home buying and home counseling plan in order for
17    that employer to be eligible to receive moneys from the Fund.
18    Employer investments may include, but are not limited to:
19        (a)  Down payment assistance. The Authority may match, at
20    up to 100%, money provided by the employer  to  the  employee
21    for the purchase of a home.
22        (b)  Contributions  to  second  mortgage pools, which are
23    low  interest   loan   programs   accessible   to   qualified
24    individuals  that  assist  in  the  purchase  of  a home. The
25    Authority may set  standards  for  eligible  second  mortgage
26    pools.  The  Authority  may  match,  at  up to 100%, employer
27    contributions to second mortgage pools.
28        (c)  Mortgage  guarantee  programs.  The  Authority   may
29    match, at up to 100%, employer contributions toward repayment
30    of any loans that default that are secured by an employee and
31    guaranteed by the employer.
32        (d)  Savings   plans   such   as  Individual  Development
33    Accounts.  The  Authority  may  match,   at   up   to   100%,
 
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 1    contributions   by   employers   to  employee  savings  plans
 2    designated for purchase of a home.
 3        (e)  Rent subsidy programs for eligible employees.  While
 4    employees  are  saving  and preparing for home ownership, the
 5    employer may choose to subsidize the rental of housing  close
 6    to  work.  The  Authority  may match, at up to 100%, employer
 7    contributions toward rental payments.
 8        (f)  Home buyer education and home ownership  counseling.
 9    The   Authority   may   match,   at   up  to  100%,  employer
10    contributions toward home buyer education and home  ownership
11    counseling.

12        Section   30.  Funds  for  administration  and  nonprofit
13    organizations.
14        (a)  Grants authorized under Section 20 may  be  used  to
15    support  administration of employer-assisted housing programs
16    and technical  assistance.  Nonprofit  grants  shall  not  be
17    greater than 20% of the total Live Near Work Fund.
18        (b)  Nonprofit  housing  organizations  are  eligible for
19    funds for, but not limited to,  the  following:  (i)  program
20    administration   to   the   employers;   and  (ii)  technical
21    assistance to home  ownership  counseling  education  to  the
22    employees  of  participating  employers  for  not more than 2
23    years at a time. To be eligible for  funding,  the  nonprofit
24    housing  organization  must  demonstrate employer interest in
25    participating in an employer-assisted housing program.
26        (c)  Municipalities and counties are eligible to  receive
27    grants authorized by Section 20 if:
28             (1)  the  municipality  or  county  is  acting as an
29        agent of the State in promoting employer-assisted housing
30        among employers in its  jurisdiction  and  in  compliance
31        with  eligibility  criteria established by the Authority,
32        and
33             (2)  the municipality  or  county  has  demonstrated
 
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 1        employer     interest     in    participating    in    an
 2        employer-assisted program, or the municipality or  county
 3        is  acting  in  the  capacity  of  employer and providing
 4        employer-assisted housing services to its work force.

 5        Section 35. Annual reports. The  Authority  shall  report
 6    annually  to the General Assembly on the program.  The report
 7    shall specify the amounts expended under the program and  the
 8    number  of  housing  units,  local governments, and employees
 9    served by the program.

10        Section 40. Expiration. This Act is repealed on  July  1,
11    2005.

12        Section  95.  The  State Finance Act is amended by adding
13    Section 5.541 as follows:

14        (30 ILCS 105/5.541 new)
15        Section 5.541.  The Live Near Work Fund.".

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