Bill > S789

This bill aims to promote affordable and attainable housing in seasonal communities in several ways: 1. It allows the Department of Housing and Economic Development to count certain 1-bedroom housing units, projects in high-cost municipalities, covenant housing in Nantucket, and developments in bordering municipalities towards a municipality's affordable housing inventory, even if they do not fully qualify. 2. It allows municipalities to exempt from property taxes rental units that are occupied year-round and rented at or below 150% of fair market rent. 3. It requires municipalities to allow "tiny houses" as detached accessory dwelling units, subject to reasonable zoning regulations. 4. It authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development to enter into long-term financing agreements with school districts, municipalities, and qualified developers to create affordable rental housing for municipal employees. 5. It gives the Department of Housing and Community Development a right of first refusal to acquire tax-delinquent properties with 3 or fewer units. 6. It enables municipalities to establish bifurcated or progressive property tax rates, as well as tax exemptions for low- and moderate-income households. 7. It establishes a special commission to study how the state's building, fire, health and sanitary codes impact the availability of affordable housing. 8. It allows municipalities to impose a fee of up to 2% on real estate transfers, with the revenue dedicated to affordable housing initiatives.