You can take action on this alert by reading the information below and following the directions at the bottom.

Senate Bill 3001, sponsored by State Senator Susan Garrett (D-Highwood), would allow non-home rule counties to establish an affordable housing trust fund.

If a county chooses to establish a housing trust fund, SB 3001 provides the county board with the option to fund it by imposing a $5 recording fee surcharge on real-estate related documents. Funds generated from the fee would be dedicated to the housing trust fund and used to meet local housing needs in accordance with county-determined priorities.

The bill has passed out of the Senate Local Government Committee and will be considered by the full Senate.

The bill is purely permissive. It would apply only to non-home rule counties. It would be up to a county board to decide if it wants to establish a housing trust fund. And it would be up to a county board to decide if it wants to impose a $5 recording fee surcharge to fund it.

Revenue from the fee would stay in the county where it is generated and be a dedicated, on-going source of revenue for the county’s affordable housing trust fund.

The bill allows a county to establish its own program rules and determine how the funds will be used to most effectively address its particular housing needs and priorities – e.g., acquisition and rehab of vacant or foreclosed properties, preservation and improvement of existing units, construction of new units, mortgage and/or rental assistance.

Using county trust fund dollars to support local affordable housing efforts leverages other public and private dollars for the community’s housing market. These funds provide jobs in all sectors of the housing industry, improve housing and stabilize neighborhoods, and enable low- and moderate-income households to access decent, safe and affordable housing opportunities. Nationally, every dollar invested in affordable housing by a county trust fund leverages an average of $10.46 from other funding sources.

Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:

Your State Senator

A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.

This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.