90250-1:n:03/30/2007:DA/ll LRS2007-1839
CREATING THE ALABAMA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE.
WHEREAS, the generally accepted definition of affordability for housing purposes is for a household to pay no more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing; and
WHEREAS, families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care; and
WHEREAS, an estimated 12 million renter and homeowner households now pay more than 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing nationally; and
WHEREAS, the lack of affordable housing is a significant hardship for low-income households preventing them from meeting their other basic needs; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That there is hereby created the Alabama Affordable Housing Task Force.
The task force shall be composed of the following appointed members:
(1) The Director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs shall appoint one member.
(2) The Governor shall appoint one member.
(3) The Lieutenant Governor shall appoint three members, one of whom shall serve as co-chair of the task force.
(4) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall appoint one member.
(5) The Speaker of the House shall appoint four members, one of whom shall serve as co-chair of the task force.
(6) The Affordable Housing Coalition of Alabama shall appoint three members.
(7) The Director of the Department of Human Resources shall appoint one member.
(8) The Alabama Poverty Project shall appoint one member.
(9) The Alabama Association of Planning shall appoint one member.
(10) The Alabama Alliance to End Homelessness shall appoint two members.
(11) The Alabama Housing Finance Corporation shall appoint one member.
(12) The Alabama Association of Realtors shall appoint one member.
The task force membership shall be inclusive and shall reflect the racial, gender, geographic, urban and rural, and economic diversity of the state.
The task force shall study in depth the challenges of affordable housing in our state and shall report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for proposed reform legislation to the Legislature no later than the third legislative day of the 2008 Regular Session, whereupon the task force shall stand dissolved and discharged of any further duties and liabilities.
Each nonlegislative member of the task force may be reimbursed for expenses related to attending meetings consistent with the policies of the various appointing authorities.
Upon the request of the chair, the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall provide necessary clerical assistance for the work of the task force. Each legislative member of the task force shall be entitled to his or her regular legislative compensation, his or her per diem, and travel expenses for each day he or she attends a meeting of the task force. These payments shall be paid out of any funds appropriated to the use of the Legislature by means of warrants drawn by the state Comptroller on the State Treasury. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no member shall receive additional legislative compensation or per diem when the Legislature is in session or if a member is being paid any other payments on the same dates for attendance on other state business. The total expenditures of the committee shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000).