S-4676.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6527
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State of Washington 56th Legislature 2000 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Jacobsen and Kline)
Read first time 02/08/2000.
AN ACT Relating to housing assistance for school district employees; adding a new section to chapter 43.185 RCW; creating new sections; making an appropriation; and providing expiration dates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the quality of education is improved when school district employees, including teachers, other certificated staff, and classified employees, are able to work and live in the same community. The legislature finds that many school district employees cannot afford to live in the areas in which they work making it more difficult for those employees to maintain vital links with the school community including participation in after school activities. Housing assistance for school district employees would help school districts recruit and retain qualified employees and improve the quality of education by helping those employees to live in the same communities as do the students.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The department of community, trade, and economic development, in cooperation with the housing finance commission, shall establish a state-wide pilot program to provide down payment assistance loans from the housing trust fund to eligible employees of school districts. To be eligible, the employee's median family income shall be less than one hundred percent of the area median family income or the state median family income, whichever is higher, and the loan shall be to purchase the employee's primary residence located in the school district where the employee is employed.
(2) The department and the commission shall report to the legislature by December 15, 2000, regarding the results of the program including information about the number of borrowers assisted, the average amount of the down payment assistance, and the number of loans in each school district.
(3) This section expires June 30, 2002.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.185 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The eligibility provisions of RCW 43.185.050 do not apply to the pilot program in section 2 of this act.
(2) This section expires June 30, 2002.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof may be necessary, is appropriated from the housing trust fund to the department of community, trade, and economic development for the biennium ending June 30, 2001, to be used by the department of community, trade, and economic development to work in cooperation with the housing finance commission to develop a state-wide pilot program to provide down payment assistance loans to eligible employees of school districts.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Any funds from the appropriation in section 4 of this act which are held in escrow or as a guaranty or collateral account and are remaining unexpended following the term of the loan repayments under the pilot program established in section 2 of this act, or at any prior time as determined by the housing finance commission, shall be returned along with accrued interest to the state general fund.
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