Housing (Affordable Housing)

This bill is a resolution that asks the Louisiana Housing Corporation to work with other state agencies to study whether it's possible to create a housing assistance program using vacant state-owned property. The program would specifically help state government employees who spend more than 30% of their income on rent, with priority for those spending over 50%. To support this study, the resolution requests that the Division of Administration provide data on available vacant state property and that the State Civil Service Commission supply salary information for state employees. The Louisiana Housing Corporation would then report its findings back to the House of Representatives and the Appropriations Committee.

This bill establishes the Dream Starter Act to create a new assistance program for first-generation homebuyers in Louisiana who lack generational wealth or prior homeownership experience. The program will provide forgivable loans to help eligible applicants cover down payments, closing costs, mortgage insurance, and interest rate buy-downs when purchasing a principal residence. To qualify, applicants must meet first-time homebuyer criteria, complete approved homebuyer education and financial counseling, and commit to living in the home for a specified period. The Louisiana Housing Corporation will administer the program, manage a dedicated state fund, and submit annual reports on participation and outcomes to the legislature.

HB 809 allows Louisiana to transfer surplus state-owned land or buildings to affordable housing developers for low-income housing projects. It requires the Louisiana Housing Corporation to maintain a public inventory of such property and evaluate proposals from housing entities using a scoring system prioritizing deeply affordable units (rent ≤30% of income), permanent supportive housing, and nonprofit ownership. The bill mandates annual reporting to the legislature on transferred properties, proposed units, and completed developments. This directly affects affordable housing organizations and low-income residents (defined as those earning ≤80% of state median income) by creating a formal process to repurpose unused state assets for housing.

SB 301 directs Louisiana to use surplus state-owned land for affordable housing by requiring the Louisiana Housing Corporation to maintain an annual public inventory of available property. It establishes a process where nonprofit or government housing entities can submit proposals to develop affordable housing on this land, with proposals evaluated based on criteria like the proportion of deeply affordable units (rent ≤30% of income for very low-income residents), nonprofit ownership models, and inclusion of supportive services. The bill directly affects affordable housing entities, which can develop housing for very low-income (≤50% median income), low-income (≤80%), and moderate-income (≤100%) residents, while requiring annual reporting on transferred properties to the legislature. Key mechanisms include mandatory scoring of proposals, cooperative agreements between the Corporation and housing entities, and gubernatorial review for property retention. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.