Maryland 2024 2024 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB873 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/02/2024

                     
 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W. 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
          *hb0873*  
  
HOUSE BILL 873 
C9   	4lr2596 
    	CF SB 704 
By: Delegate Taylor 
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024 
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation 
 
A BILL ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Appraisal Gap From Historic Redlining Financial Assistance Program – 2 
Alterations 3 
 
FOR the purpose of expanding eligibility for financial assistance under the Appraisal Gap 4 
From Historic Redlining Financial Assistance Program to include individuals who 5 
purchase certain qualified property as an owner–occupant; and generally relating to 6 
the Appraisal Gap From Historic Redlining Financial Assistance Program. 7 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,  8 
 Article – Housing and Community Development 9 
 Section 4–2801(a), (e), (g), and (h) 10 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 11 
 (2019 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 12 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,  13 
 Article – Housing and Community Development 14 
 Section 4–2802 and 4–2804 15 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 16 
 (2019 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 17 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18 
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19 
 
Article – Housing and Community Development 20 
 
4–2801. 21 
 
 (a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 22 
 
 (e) “Financial assistance” includes: 23 
  2 	HOUSE BILL 873  
 
 
 (1) a grant; 1 
 
 (2) a loan; 2 
 
 (3) a reduction in the principal obligation of or rate of interest payable on 3 
a loan or portion of a loan; 4 
 
 (4) a prepayment of interest on a subordinate or superior loan or portion of 5 
a loan; 6 
 
 (5) an assurance; 7 
 
 (6) a guarantee; and 8 
 
 (7) any other form of credit enhancement. 9 
 
 (g) “Qualified project” means the construction or substantial rehabilitation of a 10 
qualified property if the eligible construction expenses do not exceed $500,000. 11 
 
 (h) “Qualified property” means residential real property that is: 12 
 
 (1) newly constructed or a formerly vacant structure that has been 13 
substantially rehabilitated; 14 
 
 (2) located in: 15 
 
 (i) a low–income census tract as defined by the U.S. Department of 16 
Housing and Urban Development; and 17 
 
 (ii) an area designated as a sustainable community; and 18 
 
 (3) constructed or rehabilitated with the purpose of being sold to an  19 
owner–occupant at an affordable sales price. 20 
 
4–2802. 21 
 
 (a) There is an Appraisal Gap From Historic Redlining Financial Assistance 22 
Program in the Department. 23 
 
 (b) The purpose of the Program is to [make] HELP CLOSE APPRAISAL GAPS 24 
THAT OCCUR IN HISTOR ICALLY REDLINE D NEIGHBORHOODS BY M AKING financial 25 
assistance available to: 26 
  
 (1) affordable housing developers working in low–income census tracts and 27 
sustainable communities [in order to help close appraisal gaps that occur in historically 28 
redlined neighborhoods]; AND 29   	HOUSE BILL 873 	3 
 
 
 
 (2) INDIVIDUALS WHO PURC HASE A QUALIFIED PRO PERTY: 1 
 
 (I) AFTER A QUALIFIED PR OJECT IS COMPLETED ; 2 
 
 (II) AT AN AFFORDABLE SAL ES PRICE AS DETERMIN ED BY 3 
REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT ; AND 4 
 
 (III) AS AN OWNER–OCCUPANT. 5 
 
4–2804. 6 
 
 (a) Subject to § 4–2805 of this subtitle and the regulations of the [department] 7 
DEPARTMENT , the Department shall accept an application for financial assistance from: 8 
 
 (1) an individual or business entity that proposes to develop a qualified 9 
project; AND 10 
 
 (2) AN INDIVIDUAL THAT P ROPOSES TO PURCHASE A QUALIFIED 11 
PROPERTY. 12 
 
 (b) The application shall be in the form and shall contain any information that 13 
the Department requires by regulation. 14 
 
 (c) The Department shall approve all applications that qualify for financial 15 
assistance under this subtitle in a timely manner. 16 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 17 
1, 2024.  18