This bill enacts the Windsor Park Environmental Justice Act, which establishes a program for the relocation of persons residing in the Windsor Park neighborhood of the City of North Las Vegas whose residences have been damaged by the sinking of the ground beneath the residences. Section 2 of this bill sets forth a legislative declaration that is necessary to enact a law of local and special application to provide the residents of Windsor Park a solution to the unique problems of the neighborhood. Sections 3-8 of this bill define relevant terms for the Act. Section 8 defines the area that constitutes the Windsor Park neighborhood.
Section 9 of this bill requires the Housing Division of the Department of Business and Industry to establish and administer a program by which the owner of a single-family residence in the Windsor Park neighborhood who owns the residence on July 1, 2023, may exchange the residence in the Windsor Park neighborhood for a new residence constructed in accordance with provisions of section 9. Under section 9, the Housing Division is required to select a governmental entity, a nonprofit corporation or any other entity engaged in the development of affordable housing to develop single-family residences on vacant land adjacent to the Windsor Park neighborhood. The entity selected by the Housing Division is required to contract with qualified professionals for a study of vacant land adjacent to the Windsor Park neighborhood that could be acquired to determine whether such land will subside, acquire vacant land adjacent to the Windsor Park neighborhood if the study finds such land will not subside and enter into contracts for the development and construction of single-family residences on that land. The contracts for such development and construction must include a preference for businesses owned by a person who resides or formerly resided in the Windsor Park neighborhood. Section 9 further requires the entity selected by the Housing Division, the City of North Las Vegas and the Housing Division to enter into an agreement for the financing of the acquisition of land and the development and construction of the residences. Upon the issuance of certificates of occupancy for these residences, section 9 authorizes the owner of a single-family residence in the Windsor Park neighborhood who owns such a residence on July 1, 2023, to exchange that residence for a residence with at least an equal amount of square footage that is constructed pursuant to this bill. Finally, section 9: (1) authorizes the exchange of a residence encumbered by a mortgage or deed of trust if the mortgage or deed of trust is paid off and requires the Housing Division to provide assistance in arranging for financing to pay off such a mortgage or deed of trust; and (2) requires a lease of an exchanged residence to transfer to the acquired residence. Section 9.3 of this bill requires the Housing Division to establish a program to pay: (1) moving expenses for persons who move from the Windsor Park neighborhood to a single-family residence acquired pursuant to section 9; (2) restitution for certain residents of the Windsor Park neighborhood; and (3) the cost of rehabilitating certain single-family residences. Section 9.7 of this bill makes it unlawful, with certain exceptions, to sell or list for sale a residence in the Windsor Park neighborhood.
Section 10.5 of this bill requires the Chief of the Budget Division of the Office of Finance in the Office of the Governor to disburse $25,000,000 from the money received from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds by the State of Nevada to the Housing Division for the purposes set forth in this bill. Section 11 of this bill appropriates $12,000,000 from the State General Fund to the Housing Division for the purposes set forth in this bill, and section 11.5 of this bill requires the State Treasurer to withhold certain monthly tax distributions from the City of North Las Vegas until such withheld amounts equal $12,000,000.
Section 11.7 of this bill requires the Housing Division to submit a quarterly report to the Interim Finance Committee concerning the progress of the Housing Division in carrying out the provisions of this bill.