H-2231.1

HOUSE BILL 2097

State of Washington
67th Legislature
2022 Regular Session
ByRepresentatives Donaghy, Ryu, Macri, Ramel, Walen, Paul, Frame, and Taylor
Read first time 01/26/22.Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.
AN ACT Relating to changing the definition of first-time home buyer; and amending RCW 43.185A.010.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 43.185A.010 and 2013 c 145 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Affordable housing" means residential housing for rental occupancy which, as long as the same is occupied by low-income households, requires payment of monthly housing costs, including utilities other than telephone, of no more than thirty percent of the family's income. The department must adopt policies for residential homeownership housing, occupied by low-income households, which specify the percentage of family income that may be spent on monthly housing costs, including utilities other than telephone, to qualify as affordable housing.
(2) "Contracted amount" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 43.185.020.
(3) "Department" means the department of commerce.
(4) "Director" means the director of the department of commerce.
(5) "First-time home buyer" means ((an))an individual who meets any of the following criteria:
(a) An individual or ((his or her))the individual's spouse ((or domestic partner)) who ((have not owned a home))has had no ownership in a principal residence during the three-year period ((prior to purchase of a home))ending on the date of purchase of the property;
(b) A single parent who has only owned a home with a former spouse while married;
(c) An individual who is a displaced homemaker as defined in 24 C.F.R. Sec. 93.2 as it exists on the effective date of this section, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, and has only owned a home with a spouse;
(d) An individual who has only owned a principal residence not permanently affixed to a permanent foundation in accordance with applicable rules and regulations; or
(e) An individual who has only owned a property that is discerned by a licensed building inspector as being uninhabitable.
(6) "Low-income household" means a single person, family or unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is less than eighty percent of the median family income, adjusted for household size, for the county where the project is located.
--- END ---