Sen. Kwame Raoul

Filed: 3/12/2010

 

 


 

 


 
09600SB0374sam001 LRB096 06406 RCE 38946 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 374

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 374 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the H+T
5 Affordability Index Act.
 
6     Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds and
7 declares all of the following:
8     (1) Affordability is an important factor for establishing
9 and implementing infrastructure investment policies because it
10 helps ensure that all individuals in the State have an
11 opportunity for a high quality of life at a reasonable cost.
12     (2) Traditional definitions of affordability include
13 housing costs but not transportation costs, which are the
14 second largest and fastest growing expenditure in a household
15 budget.
16     (3) It is beneficial to use definitions, indexes, and

 

 

09600SB0374sam001 - 2 - LRB096 06406 RCE 38946 a

1 policies that link housing and transportation costs to assist
2 in establishing investment plans for housing, transportation,
3 infrastructure, and economic development that more effectively
4 address the significant costs of living in Metropolitan
5 Planning Organization areas.
6     (4) The H+T Affordability Index is a tool that was designed
7 to calculate the transportation costs associated with a home's
8 location and to combine that cost with the cost of housing to
9 calculate affordability as a percentage of overall household
10 income.
11     (5) An analysis of housing and transportation costs in 54
12 metro areas nationally demonstrates that reducing the combined
13 cost of housing and transportation to 48% or less of income
14 represents a desirable and achievable goal; the H+T
15 Affordability Index has adopted 48% as the ratio of income to
16 housing and transportation costs.
17     (6) The analysis also reveals that affordability is
18 enhanced by locating residential units that have been
19 thoughtfully planned to lessen sprawl in mixed-use,
20 transit-rich communities near shopping, schools, and work, and
21 that residents of communities with low transportation costs
22 benefit from using transit for the mobility required to
23 undertake activities associated with daily life; residents of
24 these types of communities own fewer cars and drive them
25 shorter distances, thereby reducing environmental impacts and
26 lowering their cost of living.

 

 

09600SB0374sam001 - 3 - LRB096 06406 RCE 38946 a

1     (7) A housing and transportation affordability standard,
2 such as that recommended by the H+T Affordability Index, is an
3 important consideration in the development of State plans and
4 investments in housing, transportation, economic development,
5 and other public facilities and infrastructure.
 
6     Section 10. Definitions. For purposes of this Act:
7     "Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan" means the plan created
8 by the Comprehensive Housing Planning Act (Public Act 94-965,
9 effective June 30, 2006).
10     "Context Sensitive Solution Process" means the process by
11 which IDOT develops the scope of transportation projects, in
12 accordance with Public Act 93-545, effective January 1, 2004.
13     "CDB" means the Illinois Capital Development Board, which
14 is responsible for overseeing the design, construction,
15 repair, and renovation for State-funded, public buildings,
16 including, but not limited to, schools, colleges, museums, and
17 State recreation areas.
18     "DCEO" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
19 Opportunity, which is responsible for improving Illinois'
20 competitiveness in the global economy by administering
21 economic and workforce development programs.
22     "HUD/DOT Sustainability Initiative" means an initiative
23 undertaken by the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban
24 Development ("HUD") and Transportation ("DOT") in partnership
25 to help American families gain better access to affordable

 

 

09600SB0374sam001 - 4 - LRB096 06406 RCE 38946 a

1 housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation
2 costs.
3     "H+T Affordability Index" means the Housing and
4 Transportation Affordability Index, a tool that maps the
5 combined costs of housing and transportation for neighborhoods
6 within a metropolitan area.
7     "IDOT" means the Illinois Department of Transportation,
8 which is responsible for statewide planning of transportation
9 and transit development.
10     "IFA" means the Illinois Finance Authority, which is
11 responsible for issuing taxable and tax-exempt bonds, making
12 loans, and investing capital in initiatives that stimulate the
13 economy and create jobs.
14     "IHDA" means the Illinois Housing Development Authority,
15 which is responsible for financing affordable housing
16 development.
17     "Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation" or
18 "ICCT" means the committee created by Public Act 93-185,
19 effective July 11, 2003, to encourage the coordination of
20 public and private transportation services, with priority
21 given toward services directed toward those populations who are
22 not currently served or are underserved by existing public
23 transportation.
24     "Metropolitan Planning Organization" refers to a regional
25 policy body, required by the federal government in urbanized
26 areas with populations over 50,000 and designated by local

 

 

09600SB0374sam001 - 5 - LRB096 06406 RCE 38946 a

1 officials and the Governor of the State to carry out the
2 metropolitan transportation planning requirements of federal
3 highway and transit legislation.
4     "Task Force" means the Task Force codified by the
5 Comprehensive Housing Planning Act (Public Act 94-965,
6 effective June 30, 2006), which is responsible for statewide
7 planning of affordable housing and creating Illinois' Annual
8 Comprehensive Housing Plan in cooperation with multiple
9 agencies, including IDOT, IHDA, and DCEO.
 
10     Section 15. Funding for non-Metropolitan Planning
11 Organization areas. Nothing in this Act shall reduce or divert
12 funds away from areas not located in a Metropolitan Planning
13 Organization area.
 
14     Section 20. Adoption of the H+T Affordability Index;
15 Metropolitan Planning Organization areas. The H+T
16 Affordability Index or substantially equivalent affordability
17 measure, where available, shall be adopted by DCEO, IDOT and
18 IHDA as (1) a tool for the development of plans in Metropolitan
19 Planning Organization areas and (2) a consideration for the
20 allocation of funding for public transportation, economic
21 development, and housing projects in Metropolitan Planning
22 Organization areas; the distribution of economic incentives to
23 businesses in Metropolitan Planning Organization areas; and
24 the siting of public facilities in Metropolitan Planning

 

 

09600SB0374sam001 - 6 - LRB096 06406 RCE 38946 a

1 Organization areas, where appropriate.
 
2     Section 25. Adoption of H+T Affordability Index; agencies.
3     (a) The Task Force, in cooperation with the Interagency
4 Coordinating Committee on Transportation, shall consider the
5 H+T Affordability Index, results of the HUD/DOT Sustainability
6 Initiative, and the Context Sensitive Solution Process, along
7 with other applicable affordability measures, to create an
8 affordability definition and policy that incorporates housing
9 and transportation costs for Metropolitan Planning
10 Organization areas, where appropriate, and shall include both
11 in the Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan for Metropolitan
12 Planning Organization Areas.
13     (b) DCEO, IDOT, and IHDA may use the H+T Affordability
14 Index and other applicable affordability measures to ensure
15 consideration of the combined costs of housing and
16 transportation in screening and prioritizing investments in
17 public transportation, housing, and economic development
18 projects in Metropolitan Planning Organization areas, where
19 appropriate.
20     (c) CDB shall recommend the H+T Affordability Index to
21 ensure consideration of the combined costs of housing and
22 transportation when new public facilities are sited in
23 Metropolitan Planning Organization areas.
24     (d) IDOT shall use its Context Sensitive Solution Process
25 for all transportation expansion projects within Metropolitan

 

 

09600SB0374sam001 - 7 - LRB096 06406 RCE 38946 a

1 Planning Organization areas and, where possible, shall work
2 with communities to enhance or provide opportunities for
3 transportation alternatives to personal automobiles where
4 mixed-use communities thoughtfully planned to lessen sprawl
5 exist or are appropriate.
6     (e) IFA shall recommend the H+T Affordability Index to
7 ensure consideration of the combined costs of housing and
8 transportation in siting new buildings in Metropolitan
9 Planning Organization areas.".