Louisiana Senate OKs Effort to Promote Affordable Housing and Property Rights
LOUISIANA REALTORS • April 9, 2018
Louisiana senators approved Monday night legislation that would assert state authority over local zoning efforts to create affordable housing. Currently, Louisiana allows municipalities and parishes to pass inclusionary zoning ordinances to promote the development of affordable housing. Inclusionary zoning requires housing developers to sell or rent a proportion of their units below market rate, regardless of the economics of a project or whether the developer receives just compensation.
Senate Bill 462 would instead allow municipalities and parishes to offer VOLUNTARY economic incentive policies to promote the development of affordable housing.The measure was approved on a vote of 26-11. SB462 would replace the term “inclusionary zoning” with “voluntary economic incentive policies,” which will allow parishes and municipalities to incentivize affordable housing opportunities by limiting regulatory burdens on the housing industry.
State Sen. Danny Martiny, the Metairie Republican who sponsored the measure, pointed out that a similar bill was approved last year by the state Senate, then was sidelined in the House on promises that the New Orleans City Council would address the issue.
Louisiana REALTORS has been working with homebuilders, developers, and other entities to follow this issue. Members were alerted with a Call for Action over the past couple of weeks and over 700+ responded by contacting their senators. The legislation now heads to the Louisiana House for consideration and we encourage members to stay engaged on this issue.
Portions of this post were taken from an article originally published in the Advocate
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by Mark Ballard on April 9, 2018
Thinking about buying, selling, or moving in Louisiana? Explore key factors that can help you decide when the time is right.
It’s not unusual for people to enter the homebuying process with a priority list that needs to be whittled down once they see what’s on the market. NAR’s latest consumer guide, “Defining Home Buying Needs vs. Wants,” is a decision-making tool that can help. It’s a simple checklist to help home buyers identify their needs, wants and deal-breakers. Using the form, or something like it, will help buyers remember what’s most important to them as they view and compare homes. There’s even a fillable PDF available for download. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Defining Home Buying Needs vs. Wants NEW: 10 Tips For Unpacking Smartly After A Move UPDATED: Multiple Listing Services Overcoming Roadblocks to a Sale or Purchase How Solar Impacts a Real Estate Transaction Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Check out the next consumer guide for sellers on how to ease the transition for the new owners.
NAR’s latest consumer guide, “10 Tips for Unpacking Smartly After a Move,” was developed to help ease the burden buyers may feel when surrounded by boxes. For your clients on the cusp of a move, the guide suggests establishing a priority unpacking order, wiping down each room before unpacking, discarding boxes quickly, having garbage and donation bags at the ready, and more. Share the new guide along with the companion guide “10 Tips for Packing Smartly for a Move.” As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: 10 Tips For Unpacking Smartly After A Move UPDATED : Multiple Listing Services Overcoming Roadblocks to a Sale or Purchase How Solar Impacts a Real Estate Transaction Navigating Interest Rate Shifts Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Check out the next consumer guide on identifying homebuying wants vs. needs.
