HB 138: Wyoming Workforce Housing Infrastructure Program
2007 General Session

Sponsor: Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee

HB 138 set up a new state program to offer grants and low- or no-interest loans to cities, towns, counties, special improvement districts and joint powers boards to pay for workforce housing infrastructure and community land trusts.

Workforce housing infrastructure means publicly owned infrastructure to a housing subdivision or development that consists of owner-occupied, residential dwellings. It includes rights of way, sewer and water lines, storm water and drainage facilities, streets, roads, bridges, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, lift stations, traffic signals, street lighting, and land purchases necessary to accommodate infrastructure projects.

A community land trust means land owned by a political subdivision of the state (city, town, county, special improvement district or housing authority) and held in trust for the long-term benefit of a community. The land must be used for owner occupied, residential housing with leased lots.

HB 138 was meant to facilitate the provision of adequate housing, the supply of which is considered inadequate in some areas of the state as a result of the expansion of extractive mineral industries and other economic development.

As introduced, HB 138 would have appropriated $30 million to fund the grants and loans, and would have cost about an additional $900,000 for program administration annually.

The House amended the appropriation in HB 138 down to $1 million (essentially enough for one pilot project), with an additional $100,000 for program administration. Thus amended, the House passed the bill, 49-11. The Senate further amended the program administration allocation down to $50,000, and passed the bill, 28-1 (1 excused).

The votes listed below are the House and Senate third reading (final passage) votes. A YES vote means the legislator supported a small program costing $1 million for grants or low cost loans to help pay for infrastructure for workforce housing projects. A NO vote means the legislator did not support this program, at least not at this level.

LINK TO HEA 0108 (ENROLLED VERSION OF HB 138)