Section 473.254 Local Housing Incentives Account

473.254 LOCAL HOUSING INCENTIVES ACCOUNT.

Subdivision 1.Participation.

(a) A municipality may elect to participate in the local housing incentive account program. If the election to participate occurs by November 15 of any year, it is effective commencing the next calendar year; otherwise it is effective commencing the next succeeding calendar year. An election to participate in the program is effective until revoked according to paragraph (b). A municipality is subject to this section only in those calendar years for which its election to participate in the program is effective. For purposes of this section, municipality means a municipality electing to participate in the local housing incentive account program for the calendar year in question, unless the context indicates otherwise.

(b) A municipality may revoke its election to participate in the local housing incentive account program. If the revocation occurs by November 15 of any year, it is effective commencing the next calendar year; otherwise it is effective commencing the next succeeding calendar year. After revoking its election to participate in the program, a municipality may again elect to participate in the program according to paragraph (a).

(c) A municipality that elects to participate may receive grants or loans from the tax base revitalization account, livable communities demonstration account, or the local housing incentive account. A municipality that does not participate is not eligible to receive a grant under sections 116J.551 to 116J.557. The council, when making discretionary funding decisions, shall give consideration to a municipality's participation in the local housing incentives program.

Subd. 2.Affordable, life-cycle goals.

The council shall negotiate with each municipality to establish affordable and life-cycle housing goals for that municipality that are consistent with and promote the policies of the Metropolitan Council as provided in the adopted Metropolitan Development Guide. The council shall adopt, by resolution after a public hearing, the negotiated affordable and life-cycle housing goals for each municipality by January 15, 1996, and by January 15 in each succeeding year for each municipality newly electing to participate in the program or for each municipality with which new housing goals have been negotiated. By June 30, 1996, and by June 30 in each succeeding year for each municipality newly electing to participate in the program or for each municipality with which new housing goals have been negotiated, each municipality shall identify to the council the actions it plans to take to meet the established housing goals.

Subd. 3.Affordable, life-cycle housing opportunities amount through 2002.

(1) By July 1, 1996, each county assessor shall certify each municipality's average residential homestead limited market value for the 1994 assessment year, including the value of the farm house, garage, and one acre only in the case of farm homesteads, multiplied by a factor of two, as the municipality's "market value base amount." For 1997 through 2001, the "market value base amount" shall be equal to the product of (i) the market value base amount for the previous year multiplied by (ii) the annual average United States Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers, United States average, as determined by the United States Department of Labor, for the previous year divided by that annual average for the year before the previous year.

(2) By July 1, 1996, and each succeeding year through 2001, the county assessor shall determine which homesteads have market values in excess of the municipality's market value base amount and the county auditor shall certify the aggregate net tax capacity corresponding to the amount by which those homesteads' market values exceed the municipality's market value base amount as the "net tax capacity excess amount" for the assessment year corresponding to the current taxes payable year. By July 1, 1996, the county auditor shall also certify the net tax capacity excess amount for taxes payable in 1995.

(3) By July 1, 1996, and each succeeding year through 2001, the county auditor shall also certify each municipality's local tax rate for the current taxes payable year.

(4) By July 1, 1996, and each succeeding year through 2001, the county auditor shall certify for each municipality the amount equal to four percent of the municipality's current year total residential homestead tax capacity multiplied by the local tax rate.

(5) By August 1, 1996, and each succeeding year through 2001, the Metropolitan Council shall notify each municipality of its "affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount" for the following calendar year equal to the lesser of the amount certified under clause (4) or the amount, if any, by which the net tax capacity excess amount for the current year exceeds the amount for taxes payable in 1995, multiplied by the municipality's local tax rate certified in clause (3).

Subd. 3a.Affordable, life-cycle housing opportunities amount after 2002.

(1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, commencing for calendar year 2003 and each succeeding calendar year, each municipality's "affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount" for that year must be determined by the council using the method in this subdivision. The affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount must be determined for each calendar year for all municipalities in the metropolitan area.

(2) The council must allocate to each municipality its portion of the $1,000,000 of the revenue generated by the levy authorized in section 473.249 which is credited to the local housing incentives account pursuant to subdivision 5, paragraph (b). The allocation must be made by determining the amount levied for and payable in each municipality in the previous calendar year pursuant to the council levy in section 473.249 divided by the total amount levied for and payable in the metropolitan area in the previous calendar year pursuant to such levy and multiplying that result by $1,000,000.

(3) The council must also determine the amount levied for and payable in each municipality in the previous calendar year pursuant to the council levy in section 473.253, subdivision 1.

(4) A municipality's affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount for the calendar year is the sum of the amounts determined under clauses (2) and (3).

(5) Within 90 days after the effective date of this act, the council must notify each municipality of its affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount for calendar years 2003 and 2004 as determined by the method in this subdivision. These amounts replace the affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount for each municipality for calendar years 2003 and 2004 as previously determined by the method in subdivision 3.

(6) By August 1, 2004, and by August 1 of each succeeding year, the council must notify each municipality of its affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount for the following calendar year determined by the method in this subdivision.

Subd. 4.Affordable and life-cycle housing requirement.

In 1998, and thereafter, a municipality that does not spend 85 percent of its affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount to create affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities in the previous calendar year must do one of the following with the affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount for the previous year as determined under subdivision 3 or 3a, as applicable:

(1) distribute it to the local housing incentives account; or

(2) distribute it to the housing and redevelopment authority of the city or county in which the municipality is located to create affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities in the municipality.

A municipality may enter into agreements with adjacent municipalities to cooperatively provide affordable and life-cycle housing. The housing may be provided in any of the cooperating municipalities, but must meet the combined housing goals of each participating municipality.

Subd. 5.Sources of funds.

(a) The council shall credit to the local housing incentives account any revenues derived from municipalities under subdivision 4, paragraph (b), clause (1).

(b) The council shall credit $1,000,000 of the proceeds of solid waste bonds issued by the council under Minnesota Statutes, section 473.831, before its repeal, to the local housing incentives account in the metropolitan livable communities fund. In 1998 and each year thereafter, the council shall credit $1,000,000 of the revenues generated by the levy authorized in section 473.249 to the local housing incentives account.

(c) In 1997, and each year thereafter, the council shall transfer $500,000 from the livable communities demonstration account to the local housing incentives account.

Subd. 6.Distribution of funds.

The funds in the account must be distributed annually by the council to municipalities that:

(1) have not met their affordable and life-cycle housing goals as determined by the council; and

(2) are actively funding projects designed to help meet the goals.

Funds may also be distributed to a development authority for a project in an eligible municipality. The funds distributed by the council must be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the municipality or development authority receiving the funds. When distributing funds in the account, the council must give priority to projects that (1) are in municipalities that have contribution net tax capacities that exceed their distribution net tax capacities by more than $200 per household, (2) demonstrate the proposed project will link employment opportunities with affordable and life-cycle housing, and (3) provide matching funds from a source other than the required affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount under subdivision 3 or 3a, as applicable. For the purposes of this subdivision, "municipality" means a statutory or home rule charter city or town in the metropolitan area and "development authority" means a housing and redevelopment authority, economic development authority, or port authority.

Subd. 7.Report to council.

By July 1, 2004, and by July 1 in each succeeding year, each municipality must certify to the council whether or not it has spent 85 percent of its affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount, as determined under subdivision 3a, in the previous calendar year to create affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities. The council may verify each municipality's certification.

Subd. 8.Later election to participate.

If a municipality did not participate for one or more years and elects later to participate, the municipality must, with respect to its affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount for the calendar year preceding the participating calendar year:

(1) establish that it spent such amount on affordable and life-cycle housing during that preceding calendar year; or

(2) agree to spend such amount from the preceding calendar year on affordable and life-cycle housing in the participating calendar year, in addition to its affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount for the participating calendar year; or

(3) distribute such amount to the local housing incentives account.

The council will determine which investments count toward the required affordable and life-cycle housing opportunities amount by comparing the municipality to participating municipalities similar in terms of stage of development and demographics. If it determines it to be in the best interests of the region, the council may waive a reasonable portion of the amount.

Subd. 9.Report to legislature.

By February 1 of each year, the council must report to the legislature the municipalities that have elected to participate and not to participate under subdivision 1. This report must be filed as provided in section 3.195.

Subd. 10.Metro report card.

The Metropolitan Council shall present to the legislature and release to the public by November 15, 1996, and each year thereafter a comprehensive report card on affordable and life-cycle housing in each municipality in the metropolitan area. The report card must include information on government, nonprofit, and marketplace efforts.

History:

1995 c 255 art 1 s 5; 2002 c 246 s 2,3; 2004 c 259 s 1-7