310 ILCS 126/ COVID-19 Affordable Housing Grant Program Act.

(310 ILCS 126/1)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the COVID-19 Affordable Housing Grant Program Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)

(310 ILCS 126/5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 5. Purpose and findings. The State of Illinois faces a large shortage of decent, affordable rental housing for low-income and moderate-income households. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased this need for affordable housing. The development of affordable housing will help Illinois to address the need for more housing, jobs, tax base, tax revenue, and population in the State. These funds will help developers to overcome increased construction costs related to pandemic-created supply shortages (in lumber and other materials) and to jump-start a housing recovery in Illinois in the wake of the pandemic. These funds will also incentivize and attract private equity and private lending and will allow the State to more fully use and draw down unused federal resources for affordable housing. Funding will be used for the acquisition, construction, development, predevelopment, or rehabilitation of affordable multifamily rental development.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)

(310 ILCS 126/10)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Authority" means the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

"Disproportionately impacted area" means a census tract or comparable geographic area that meets at least one of the following criteria, as determined by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity:

(1) the area has a poverty rate of at least 20% according to the latest federal decennial census;

(2) 75% or more of the children in the area participate in the federal free lunch program according to reported statistics from the State Board of Education;

(3) at least 20% of the households in the area receive assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; or

(4) the area has an average unemployment rate, as determined by the Department of Employment Security, that is more than 120% of the national unemployment average, as determined by the United States Department of Labor, for a period of at least 2 consecutive calendar years preceding the date of the application.

"Federal tax credit" means the federal low-income housing tax credit provided by Section 42 of the federal Internal Revenue Code, including federal low-income housing tax credits issued pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 42(h)(3) and 26 U.S.C. 42(h)(4).

"Qualified development" means a qualified low-income housing project, as that term is defined in Section 42 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, that is located in the State and is determined to be eligible for the federal tax credit set forth in Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)

(310 ILCS 126/15)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 15. Grant program. Subject to appropriation for this purpose, the Authority shall establish an affordable housing grant program to encourage the construction and rehabilitation of affordable multifamily rental housing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding may be used for the acquisition, construction, development, predevelopment, or rehabilitation of a qualified development. The goal of the grant program shall be to fund the development and preservation of up to 3,500 affordable rental homes and apartments by December 31, 2024. Project sponsors who wish to participate in the affordable housing grant program shall submit a grant application to the Authority in accordance with rules adopted by the Authority. The Authority shall prescribe, by rule, standards and procedures for the provision of demonstration grant funds in relation to each grant application.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)

(310 ILCS 126/20)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 20. Affordable multifamily rental housing gap financing. Where a qualified development has been awarded a federal tax credit, the recipient may request additional gap financing under this grant program as the Authority deems appropriate. Through the program, the Authority shall provide grants with no expectation of repayment.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)

(310 ILCS 126/25)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 25. Prioritization efforts.

(a) The Authority shall make best efforts to prioritize grant applications for proposed developments as follows:

(1) developments that are located within an area that was disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic based on the number of positive COVID-19 cases;

(2) developments involving contracts with certified disadvantaged business enterprises and certified underrepresented business enterprises owned by minorities, women, veterans, LGBT persons, and persons with disabilities during construction;

(3) developments involving project labor agreements with local building trades; and

(4) developments involving contracts or subcontracts with a registered apprenticeship program or preapprenticeship program.

(b) The Authority shall balance the approval of projects between those located within a disproportionately impacted area as defined under this Act and those located in areas of opportunity, as defined or recognized by the Authority.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)

(310 ILCS 126/30)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 30. Annual reporting to the General Assembly.

(a) The Authority shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly no later than March 31 of each calendar year with the first annual report due no later than March 31, 2022.

(b) The annual report must describe the grant program's administration and the number and type of projects funded as of the date of the report with the following information:

(1) location of projects and demographics of the surrounding community;

(2) accessibility of projects to public transportation, schools, health care, grocery stores, and banking institutions;

(3) total number of residential units developed or rehabbed per project;

(4) total number of affordable units developed or rehabbed per project;

(5) total number of affordable units put into service;

(6) number of program applications;

(7) number of applications awarded;

(8) amount of funding awarded through the program per calendar year;

(9) amount of funding awarded through the grant program to date;

(10) specific data for each prioritization category listed under Section 25;

(11) delays or issues with development including, but not limited to, acquisition, zoning and permits, labor, and materials; and

(12) any compliance issues with grant recipients and the corrective action taken.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)

(310 ILCS 126/35)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 35. Repeal. This Act is repealed on April 1, 2025.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)

(310 ILCS 126/900)

Sec. 900. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21; text omitted.)

(310 ILCS 126/905)

Sec. 905. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21; text omitted.)

(310 ILCS 126/915)

Sec. 915. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21; text omitted.)

(310 ILCS 126/920)

Sec. 920. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21; text omitted.)

(310 ILCS 126/925)

Sec. 925. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21; text omitted.)

(310 ILCS 126/999)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on April 1, 2025)

Sec. 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 102-175, eff. 7-29-21.)