The Senate last week passed three Affordable Housing Agenda bills which were part of the bipartisan seven-bill package that will help address Delaware’s ongoing housing crisis by incentivizing public and private investments in new construction, bolster existing state programs that help struggling families stay in their homes, and create new opportunities for higher density development in Delaware’s cities and towns.
The first bill passed was Senate Bill 25, co-sponsored by Rep. Paul Baumbach, which would lower the cost of building new affordable housing projects statewide by fully exempting low-to-moderate-income dwelling units from the state’s 2% improvement tax, which is currently levied on new construction valued at $10,001 or more built within a year of the land being sold.
The bill was passed unanimously.
| Senate Bill 25 – Realty Transfer Tax Exemption for Affordable Housing Units | Currrent Status – Senate Passed 20-0-1. Sent to the House. |
| House Sponsors – Baumbach, Bush, Johnson, Lambert, Osienski, Phillips | Senate Sponsors – Huxtable, Lockman, Sokola, Townsend, Gay, Hoffner, McBride, Paradee, Pinkney, Sturgeon |
| House Yes Votes – | Senate Yes Votes – Brown Gay Hansen Hoffner Huxtable Lockman Mantzavinos McBride Paradee Pinkney Poore Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh // Hocker Lawson Pettyjohn Richardon Wilson |
| House No Votes – | Senate No Votes -None |
| House Absents or Not Voting – | Senate Absent or Not Voting – Buckson |
The second bill, Senate Bill 246, co-sponsored by Rep. Stell Parker Selby, would create a dedicated revolving loan fund to help support the home repair programs that the Delaware State Housing Authority has operated for more than 30 years. Using seed money from the General Fund and gifts or bequests from private residents, the Housing Repair and Modification Fund would support eligible repairs that help protect the health of struggling families and help them stay in their homes longer.
The bill was passed unanimously.
| Senate Bill 246 – Housing Repair and Modification Fund | Currrent Status – Senate Passed 21-0. Sent to the House |
| House Sponsors – Parker Selby, Harris, Bolden, Bush, Cooke, Heffernan, Johnson, Lambert, Osienski, Phillips // Hilovsky | Senate Sponsors – Huxtable, Lockman, Sokola, Townsend, Gay, Hoffner, McBride, Paradee, Pinkney, Walsh |
| House Yes Votes – | Senate Yes Votes – Brown Gay Hansen Hoffner Huxtable Lockman Mantzavinos McBride Paradee Pinkney Poore Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh // Buckson Hocker Lawson Pettyjohn Richardon Wilson |
| House No Votes – | Senate No Votes – None |
| House Absents or Not Voting – | Senate Absent or Not Voting – None |
The third bill, Senate Bill 244, co-sponsored by House Housing Committee Chair Rep. Kendra Johnson, would authorize any county that collects a lodging tax to allocate some or all the proceeds for workforce and affordable housing programs within that respective county. Currently, New Castle and Sussex counties collect a lodging tax with limitations on how those funds can be spent.
For some reason, three Republicans are opposed to this bill, and voted no. The bill passed 17-3-1.
| Senate Bill 244 – Lodging Tax Use | Currrent Status – Senate Passed 17-3-1. House Housing 4/18/24 |
| House Sponsors – Johnson, Bush, Baumbach, Griffith, Lambert, Osienski, Phillips // Gray, Hilovsky | Senate Sponsors – Huxtable, Lockman, Sokola, Townsend, Gay, Hansen, McBride, Paradee, Pinkney, Sturgeon, Walsh // Buckson, Pettyjohn |
| House Yes Votes – | Senate Yes Votes – Brown Gay Hansen Hoffner Huxtable Lockman Mantzavinos McBride Paradee Pinkney Poore Sokola Sturgeon Townsend // Buckson Hocker Pettyjohn |
| House No Votes – | Senate No Votes – Richardson, Lawson, Wilson |
| House Absents or Not Voting – | Senate Absent or Not Voting –Walsh |
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