2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 90. Planning, Research, and Development › Chapter 6. Community Impact -- Planning and Abatement › Part 1. Financing of Housing › 90-6-148. State workforce housing incentive to community reinvestment organizations

90-6-148. State workforce housing incentive to community reinvestment organizations.
(1) A community reinvestment organization established in 90-6-146 that contains communities in the county that have a population of 15,000 or less and are located within a 30-mile radius of a state-owned facility that houses at least 100 state inmates or behavioral health patients is eligible to apply for funds from the appropriation provided for in section 20, Chapter 774, Laws of 2023.
(2) (a) The governor's office of economic development shall allocate funds to applying and qualifying counties within community reinvestment organizations proportionally to the average number of state inmates or behavioral health patients in that state-owned facility in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, and the number of employees in that county that work in the state-owned facilities that serve those inmates or patients.
(b) The department of commerce and the board of investments shall assist the governor's office of economic development in the distribution of funds pursuant to this section.
(3) Each community reinvestment organization that receives state workforce housing incentive funds shall create a state workforce housing CRO revolving account for the deposit and distribution of funds to qualifying and participating counties within the community reinvestment organization's region.
(4) (a) Money in a state workforce housing CRO revolving account must be used as follows:
(i) 95% or more must be distributed to qualifying and participating counties to be used to assist eligible households in purchasing attainable workforce housing as provided in this section; and
(ii) 5% or less must be dedicated to startup and administrative costs of the community reinvestment organization and may be used to create a foreclosure mitigation set-aside fund to be held locally.
(b) Money in a state workforce housing CRO revolving account may not be used for preconstruction, development, or construction-related purposes.
(c) If a county elects not to participate in the program under 90-6-141 through 90-6-149, the money allocated to that county must be distributed proportionally to the remaining counties qualifying and participating in the program within the same region as the nonparticipating county.
(5) An incorporated city, consolidated city-county, or county may contribute funds to its state workforce housing CRO revolving account as an optional local government investment or may receive matching funds from the workforce housing appropriation in section 15, Chapter 774, Laws of 2023.
(6) Money used from the state workforce housing CRO revolving account to assist an eligible household may not exceed 30% of the total purchase price.
(7) (a) Housing purchased using money from the state workforce housing CRO revolving account must have a deed limitation restricting the equitable value to the eligible household. The rate of appreciation on the deed-restricted home may not be greater than 1% a year.
(b) Housing purchased using money from the state workforce housing CRO revolving account must have a deed limitation restriction to ensure that a resident of the housing is employed at a state-owned facility that, on an annual average, houses at least 100 state inmates or behavioral health patients and the state-owned facility is located in a county that has a population that does not exceed 15,000 inhabitants.
(8) A community reinvestment organization is encouraged to develop policies to support homeowners buying out the deed restriction so the revolving account can be utilized to buy down the cost of additional homes for other eligible households.
History: En. Sec. 8, Ch. 774, L. 2023.