U.S. Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) have introduced the Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act, a piece of legislation aimed at increasing the housing stock in rural parts of the country.
If approved, this bill would expand the existing Housing Preservation Grants (HPG) program to include the construction of an attached apartment unit or a small home nearby on rural properties that can be made available for rent.
Currently, the HPGs may only be used to cover the costs associated with “the repair or rehabilitation of housing owned or occupied by low- and very-low-income rural citizens,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Individual homeowners are not eligible to apply for these grants, rather they are awarded to state and local governments, as well as nonprofits, who then use these funds to provide low-interest loans or grants to low- and very low-income homeowners.
Eligible projects include repairing or replacing electrical wiring, foundations, roofs, insulation, heating systems, and water/waste disposal systems and installing handicap accessibility features, among other things.
Click Here for More Information on the Current HPG Program
Under the proposed legislation, HPG money would be able to be used to construct additional housing units either within or outside the home. It would also allow grants of up to $100,000 to be given to low- or medium-income recipients.
In addition to this, Sens. King and Moran have proposed establishing a “required landlord education program to help homeowners learn how to oversee rental housing.”
To prevent homeowners from “flipping their property at increased values” and block “developers from taking advantage of the program,” the legislation would create a five-year ownership and occupancy requirement upon completion.
“Both urban and rural communities across Maine and the nation are facing a serious housing shortage,” said King. “Unfortunately, one law that Congress cannot repeal is the law of supply and demand; limited supply will inevitably increase prices.”
“However, through creative solutions, we can increase the housing supply to help meet demand,” he continued. “I thank Senator Moran for working with me on the Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act — it’s a commonsense, bipartisan step that will help us combat the housing shortage and ensure Maine people and residents across the country can live in the communities where they work.”
“Maine is one big small town connected by long roads, and when I drive those long roads I see potentially available properties in the same communities that are facing crisis levels of housing availability,” King said. “This bill makes it cheaper and easier for Maine people and residents across the country to renovate their homes or build new ones on their land, and ease the shortfall.”
“There is a high demand for rural housing across Kansas, and it’s important that our housing programs offer creative solutions to address this issue,” said Sen. Moran. “Modernizing the Housing Preservation Grants program will help create new avenues for renovating and constructing homes in smaller communities across the country.”
Look out .
More Modular Homes .
More Trailers .
More renters means fewer “real “ home owners to tax .
More taxes on land owners .
No taxes on renters .
Sounds fair to me Angus !
I need a renter in my back yard like I need a hole in the head .
Are you nuts ?
They stop paying the rent and the state prevents me from shutting off their power . They trash the place and walk away . It winds up to be more trouble than it’s worth . A landlord ? NO THANKS Angus !
This is really about moving the illegals into rural areas.
Closed borders and mass deportations will solve the amount of housing stock available.
No suprise. In Bridgton B&Bs are being rented to illegals on the taxpayers dime.
You do understand it’s a proven fact the more trailers you have the more tornados you have. Assgus you don’t you go first and put a few on your lot, or maybe under the windmills you put up since that land is ruined now anyway.
Don’t we already have this in our state? Seems to me that the state pretty much took over local zoning laws, so you could do just what Angus ( not an original thought) King is proposing.