This bill amends the Community Development Law in Nebraska to prioritize affordable housing in redevelopment projects. It introduces new definitions for "affordable housing," which encompasses workforce housing and housing for households earning less than sixty percent of the county's median income. The bill also redefines "extremely blighted area" to include criteria related to the lack of affordable housing, thereby broadening the eligibility for redevelopment assistance. Furthermore, it requires cities to conduct studies to assess whether an area qualifies as extremely blighted before making any declarations, ensuring a more comprehensive evaluation process.

In addition to these enhancements, the bill makes several deletions and insertions to clarify and streamline the language surrounding community redevelopment. It replaces outdated references to workforce housing with broader criteria for affordable housing and introduces new definitions for various terms related to redevelopment projects. The bill also specifies that a "substandard area" is defined by having less than twenty percent of its housing classified as affordable, along with other public health and safety concerns. Overall, these changes aim to modernize the legal framework governing redevelopment efforts and empower local governments to effectively address housing affordability issues within their communities.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18-2101.02, 18-2102, 18-2103