Amendment #173 to H4707

Veterans Housing Preference

Mr. Lawn of Watertown moves to amend the bill by adding the following section:

“SECTION XXX. Chapter 40A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 9C the following section:-

Section 9D. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a city or town that permits, adopts or has permitted or adopted inclusionary zoning, incentive zoning, a density bonus ordinance or by-law pursuant to this chapter or a housing production plan submitted to the department of housing and community development, may enter into an agreement with a housing developer or residential development owner to provide a preference for affordable housing to low or moderate income veterans, as defined in clause Forty-third of section 7 of chapter 4. The preference shall be for up to 20 per cent of the affordable units in that particular development. This preference shall be established in the applicant selection process for available affordable units so that applicants who are veterans and who apply within 90 days of the initial marketing period of such development shall receive preference for the rental of the agreed-upon percentage of affordable units. After the first 90 days of the initial marketing period, if any of those units subject to the preference remain available, then applicants from the general public shall be considered for occupancy. Following the initial marketing period, previously qualified applicants and future qualified applicants who are veterans shall be placed on a special waiting list as well as the general waiting list. The veterans on the special waiting list shall be given preference for affordable units, as the units become available, whenever the percentage of preference-occupied units falls below the agreed upon percentage. Any agreement to provide affordable housing preferences for veterans pursuant to this section shall not affect a municipality's ability to receive credit for the unit for affordable housing pursuant to chapter 40B or any other law. The agreement may be monitored by a third party assigned by the municipality.

(b) This section shall not increase the existing amount of such affordable units set by the city or town.

(c) The city or town may require proof of veteran status and income eligibility as the city or town deems necessary.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #173, as changed to H4707

Veterans Housing Preference