2023 Nebraska Revised Statutes › Chapter 81 - State Administrative Departments › 81-1238 - Workforce housing investment grant program; established; workforce housing grant; application; form; award; considerations; workforce housing investment fund; requirements.

81-1238.
Workforce housing investment grant program; established; workforce housing grant; application; form; award; considerations; workforce housing investment fund; requirements.
(1) The director shall establish a workforce housing investment grant program to foster and support the development of workforce housing in urban communities.
(2) A nonprofit development organization may apply to the director for approval of a workforce housing grant for a workforce housing investment fund. The application shall be in a form and manner prescribed by the director. Through fiscal year 2026-27, grants shall be awarded by the director on a competitive basis until grant funds are no longer available. Grant maximums shall not exceed five million dollars to any one nonprofit development organization over a two-year period, with the cumulative amount for any single grantee to be determined by the department at the discretion of the director. An applicant shall provide matching funds of at least one-half of the amount of workforce housing grant funds awarded. Unallocated funds held by the department shall be rolled to the next program year.
(3) Grants shall be awarded based upon:
(a) A demonstrated need for additional owner-occupied housing. Need can be demonstrated with a recent housing study or a letter from the planning department of the city in which the fund is intending to operate stating that the proposal is in line with the city's most recent consolidated plan submitted under 24 C.F.R. part 91, subpart D, as such subpart existed on January 1, 2020;
(b) A neighborhood or community that has a higher-than-state-average unemployment rate;
(c) A neighborhood or community that exhibits a demonstrated commitment to growing its housing stock;
(d) Reducing barriers to the development and purchase of owner-occupied housing with flexible forms of assistance, including grants, forgivable loans, and other forms of long-term, patient financing;
(e) Projects that can reasonably be ready for occupancy in a period of twenty-four months; and
(f) A demonstrated ability to grow and manage a workforce housing investment fund.
(4) A workforce housing investment fund shall:
(a) Be required to receive annual certification from the department;
(b) Invest or intend to invest in eligible activities for a workforce housing investment fund;
(c) Use any fees, interest, loan repayments, or other funds received by the nonprofit development organization as a result of the administration of the grant to support qualified activities; and
(d) Have an active board of directors with expertise in development, construction, and finance that meets at least quarterly to approve all qualified investments made by the nonprofit development organization. A nonprofit development organization shall have a formal plan and proven expertise to invest unused workforce housing investment fund balances and shall conduct an annual audit of all financial records by an independent certified public accountant.
(5) A nonprofit development organization that has previously received a grant or grants under the Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Act shall not be eligible for an additional grant under this section unless the organization has expended at least fifty percent of the funds from such previous grant or grants.
Source
Laws 2020, LB866, § 14;
Laws 2022, LB1024, § 10;
Laws 2022, LB1069, § 5;
Laws 2023, LB531, § 33.
Operative Date: June 7, 2023