S-0927.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5461

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Jacobsen, McAuliffe and Rasmussen

Read first time 01/23/2001.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Providing housing assistance for school district employees.

    AN ACT Relating to housing assistance for school district employees; adding a new section to chapter 43.330 RCW; creating a new section; and making appropriations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that many school district employees, including teachers, other certificated staff, and classified employees, cannot afford to live within reasonable distances of 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.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.330 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The department of community, trade, and economic development, in cooperation with the housing finance commission, shall develop a statewide pilot program to provide down payment assistance loans 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.

    (2) The department and the commission shall report to the legislature by December 15, 2001, 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.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  (1) The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of community, trade, and economic development for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, to be used by the department of community, trade, and economic development to work in cooperation with the housing finance commission to develop a statewide pilot program to provide down payment assistance loans to eligible employees of school districts.

    (2) The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of community, trade, and economic development for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, to be used by the department of community, trade, and economic development to work in cooperation with the housing finance commission to develop a statewide pilot program to provide down payment assistance loans to eligible employees of school districts.

                            --- END ---