Bill > H4411

This bill addresses housing challenges in seasonal communities by introducing several key provisions aimed at increasing affordable year-round housing. The bill defines "attainable rental housing" as housing for year-round residents in seasonal communities and introduces a "qualified developer" as one partnering with school districts or municipalities to create affordable rental housing for employees. It provides municipalities with multiple tools to address housing issues, including: creating a right of first refusal program for properties facing foreclosure, establishing a progressive property tax rate that differs for year-round versus vacant properties, increasing local sales tax on restaurant meals to fund housing, and implementing a housing contribution program that requires developers to allocate a portion of new units to attainable housing or pay a per-unit fee. The bill also mandates that municipalities adopt zoning ordinances that permit small-scale year-round housing and allow existing properties meeting minimum state sanitary code standards to be used as year-round housing. Additionally, it enables the executive office to enter into long-term financing agreements with school districts and developers for affordable rental housing, provides seasonal communities with a right of first refusal on certain tax-liens properties, and offers special considerations for counting housing units in subsidized housing inventories, particularly in communities with high home prices or unique housing needs.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4411