Housing

In Chapter 70, Subchapter V of Title 25, the Manufactured Home Relocation Trust Fund was established. It is administered by a Board of Directors. The Board was directed to set a monthly assessment for deposit in the Trust Fund for each rented lot in a manufactured home community. This Act removes the cap of the Trust Fund, currently set at $15 million. This Act also raises the amount of the tenant portion of the monthly assessment to be redirected to the Delaware Manufactured Home Owner Attorney Fund from 50 cents of the tenant portion to $1.50. This Act takes effect on the date of enactment.

This Act creates the Affordable Rental Housing Program (ARHP) within the Housing Development Fund. The ARHP is modeled on the federal Section 515 program and provides loans to increase the supply of affordable housing for families with very low-, low-, and moderate-incomes, individuals who are elderly, and individuals with disabilities.

This Joint Resolution directs the Delaware State Housing Authority to create a pilot program for the purpose of providing technical assistance related to zoning ordinance reform to local governments in Delaware. The goal of this pilot program is to help participating local governments identify and implement zoning practices that increase the supply of affordable housing and support goals such as equitable development and economic growth throughout this State. By giving local governments the technical assistance needed to modernize zoning ordinances, this pilot program will help Delaware close its affordable housing gap while allowing local governments the flexibility to adapt best practices to meet their jurisdictional needs. If successful, this pilot program will establish model policies for local government zoning ordinance reforms that can be expanded across this State.

This Act is intended to supplement protections under federal law for members of the military, their families, and veterans by adding “military status” as a protected class for purposes of the State’s public accommodations, housing, insurance, education, and employment laws. Technical corrections are also made to existing statutory language to conform with the requirements of the Legislative Drafting Manual. This House Substitute No. 1 adds language to clarify that distinctions or differential treatment based on military status that are allowed by State law or regulation, federal law or regulation, or government contract, are not unfair or discriminatory practices. It also updates existing statutory language that was changed by 84 Del. Laws c 429.