BILL AS INTRODUCED H.686
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1 H.686
2 Introduced by Representatives Bartley of Fairfax, Cina of Burlington, Elder of
3 Starksboro, Krasnow of South Burlington, Sibilia of Dover,
4 Andriano of Orwell, Beck of St. Johnsbury, Berbeco of
5 Winooski, Birong of Vergennes, Boyden of Cambridge,
6 Brumsted of Shelburne, Buss of Woodstock, Campbell of St.
7 Johnsbury, Carpenter of Hyde Park, Christie of Hartford, Cole
8 of Hartford, Cordes of Lincoln, Garofano of Essex, Harrison of
9 Chittenden, Headrick of Burlington, Howard of Rutland City,
10 LaBounty of Lyndon, Lalley of Shelburne, LaMont of
11 Morristown, Leavitt of Grand Isle, Logan of Burlington,
12 Marcotte of Coventry, Masland of Thetford, Mattos of Milton,
13 McCann of Montpelier, McGill of Bridport, Pajala of
14 Londonderry, Patt of Worcester, Priestley of Bradford,
15 Rachelson of Burlington, Sims of Craftsbury, Stone of
16 Burlington, Surprenant of Barnard, Troiano of Stannard, and
17 White of Bethel
18 Referred to Committee on
19 Date:
20 Subject: Housing; statewide and regional housing targets VT LEG #373074 v.2
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1 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require the
2 Housing Division within the Department of Housing and Community
3 Development to measure progress toward the statewide and regional housing
4 targets published in the Statewide Housing Needs Assessment and to report
5 annually through 2030 on the Division’s findings and any recommendations
6 for accelerating progress toward the statewide and regional housing targets.
7 An act relating to measuring progress toward statewide and regional
8 housing targets
9 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
10 Sec. 1. VERMONT STATEWIDE AND REGIONAL HOUSING TARGETS
11 PROGRESS; REPORT
12 (a) Upon publication of the Statewide Housing Needs Assessment setting
13 out the statewide and regional housing targets required pursuant to 24 V.S.A.
14 § 4348a, the Housing Division within the Department of Housing and
15 Community Development, in coordination with regional planning
16 commissions, shall develop metrics for measuring progress toward the
17 statewide and regional housing targets, including:
18 (1) for any housing target, a timeline separating the target into discrete
19 steps with specific deadlines; and
20 (2) for any regional housing target:
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1 (A) a rate measuring progress toward the total needed housing
2 investment published in the regional plan for a region subject to the regional
3 housing target by separate measure for each of price, quality, unit size or type,
4 and zoning district, as applicable; and
5 (B) steps taken to achieve any actions recommended to satisfy the
6 regional housing needs published in the regional plan for a region subject to
7 the regional housing target.
8 (b) The Division shall employ the metrics developed under subsection (a)
9 of this section to set annual goals for achieving the statewide and regional
10 housing targets required pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4348a.
11 (c) Within one year following publication of the Statewide Housing Needs
12 Assessment setting out the statewide and regional housing targets required
13 pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4348a and annually thereafter through 2030, the
14 Division shall publish a report on progress toward the statewide and regional
15 housing targets, including:
16 (1)(A) annual and cumulative progress toward the statewide and
17 regional housing targets based on the metrics developed pursuant to subsection
18 (a) of this section; and
19 (B) for any statewide or regional housing target the Division
20 determines may not practicably be measured by any of the metrics developed
21 pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, an explanation that the statewide or
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1 regional housing target may not practicably be measured by the Division’s
2 metrics and a description of the status of progress toward the statewide or
3 regional housing target;
4 (2) progress toward the annual goals for the year of publication set
5 pursuant to subsection (b) of this section;
6 (3) an overall assessment whether, in the Division’s discretion, annual
7 progress toward the statewide and regional housing targets is satisfactory based
8 on the measures under subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection and giving
9 due consideration to the complete timeline for achieving the statewide and
10 regional housing targets; and
11 (4) if the Division determines pursuant to subdivision (c)(3) of this
12 section that annual progress toward the statewide and regional housing targets
13 is not satisfactory, recommendations for accelerating progress. The Division
14 shall specifically consider whether the creation of a process that permits
15 developers to propose noncompliant housing developments under certain
16 conditions, like a builder’s remedy, or a cause of action would be likely to
17 accelerate progress.
18 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
19 This act shall take effect on passage.
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