SB 208 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Mountain Homes Act

The Mountain Homes Act establishes a state fund to support housing construction for workers employed by businesses in West Virginia. It directly affects businesses (referred to as "Applicants") that seek to build housing for their employees, requiring them to contribute at least 50% of a project's cost as a "Cash reserve." The West Virginia Economic Development Authority will administer the fund, overseeing applications, eligibility, and project approvals while mandating annual reports to the Governor and legislature. The program aims to address housing barriers as the state transitions from an energy-based economy, ensuring workers have access to housing near their jobs.

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action Mar 5, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 8 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from an introduced version to a committee substitute version, primarily changing the administering agency from the Department of Economic Development to the Economic Development Authority, reorganizing legislative findings into numbered subsections, and adding specific definitions and procedural requirements. The committee version also expanded eligibility criteria, added a $10 million annual funding cap, and included more detailed application requirements and criminal penalties.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include the Economic Development Authority as the administering body rather than just the Department of Economic Development, and the scope of prohibited projects was clarified to explicitly exclude timeshares, industrial operations, and other specific uses.

ADMINISTRATION

Changed the administering agency from the Department of Economic Development to the Economic Development Authority throughout the bill.

DEFINITION

Added comprehensive definitions for key terms including 'Cash reserve', 'Infrastructure', 'Loan guarantee agreement', and 'Mountain homes project' with specific monetary thresholds.

ELIGIBILITY

Added 15 specific eligibility requirements for applicants including tax compliance, creditworthiness, and demonstration of economic impact.

FISCAL

Established a $10 million annual cap on loan guarantees and clarified the Mountain Homes Fund's structure and exempt status.

REQUIREMENT

Added detailed application requirements including strategic business plans, financial statements, and homeowners association agreements.

TIMELINE

Set effective date as January 1, 2026, with expiration on January 1, 2036, while allowing individual projects to continue until completion.

ENFORCEMENT

Added criminal penalties for false statements and established a 30-day cure period for defaults before authority payment.

PROHIBITIONS

Explicitly prohibited funding for timeshares, industrial operations, warehouses, call centers, airports, and mobile homes.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 5, 2025

Committee

To Finance

upper

Mar 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

To Economic Development

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

To Economic Development then Finance

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors