The Department of Commerce (Commerce) administers many of the state's housing and homelessness programs, including the Housing Trust Fund, the Landlord Mitigation Program, the Consolidated Homeless Grant, the Manufactured/Mobile Home Relocation Assistance Program, and tenant rental assistance programs. In general, these programs include providing funding and support to local governments and nonprofit organizations who provide housing, services and subsidies in local communities. Commerce does not generally provide direct assistance to the public or build and operate housing.
Other state entities also administer housing programs. For example, the Housing Finance Commission administers low-income housing tax credits and offers affordable home loans and down-payment assistance programs, and the Office of Civil Legal Aid oversees and administers eviction defense programs.
The Office of Financial Management must contract with an external consultant to study the transition of state housing programs to a new state agency and identify gaps in current state housing programs. The contract is exempt from competitive procurement and may not be awarded to an external consultant or entity that has lobbied or publicly testified on matters related to the scope of the study. The contract must require the external consultant to submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the Legislature by July 1, 2025.
The study must include a review and recommendations on:
The external consultant must engage with and seek recommendations from: