Public Act 096-1255
 
SB0374 EnrolledLRB096 06406 RCE 16490 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the H+T
Affordability Index Act.
 
    Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds and
declares all of the following:
    (1) Affordability is an important factor for establishing
and implementing infrastructure investment policies because it
helps ensure that all individuals in the State have an
opportunity for a high quality of life at a reasonable cost.
    (2) Traditional definitions of affordability include
housing costs but not transportation costs, which are the
second largest and fastest growing expenditure in a household
budget.
    (3) It is beneficial to use definitions, indexes, and
policies that link housing and transportation costs to assist
in establishing investment plans for housing, transportation,
infrastructure, and economic development that more effectively
address the significant costs of living in Metropolitan
Planning Organization areas.
    (4) The H+T Affordability Index is a tool that was designed
to calculate the transportation costs associated with a home's
location and to combine that cost with the cost of housing to
calculate affordability as a percentage of overall household
income.
    (5) An analysis of housing and transportation costs in 54
metro areas nationally demonstrates that reducing the combined
cost of housing and transportation to 48% or less of income
represents a desirable and achievable goal; the H+T
Affordability Index has adopted 48% as the ratio of income to
housing and transportation costs.
    (6) The analysis also reveals that affordability is
enhanced by locating residential units that have been
thoughtfully planned to lessen sprawl in mixed-use,
transit-rich communities near shopping, schools, and work, and
that residents of communities with low transportation costs
benefit from using transit for the mobility required to
undertake activities associated with daily life; residents of
these types of communities own fewer cars and drive them
shorter distances, thereby reducing environmental impacts and
lowering their cost of living.
    (7) A housing and transportation affordability standard,
such as that recommended by the H+T Affordability Index, is an
important consideration in the development of State plans and
investments in housing, transportation, economic development,
and other public facilities and infrastructure.
 
    Section 10. Definitions. For purposes of this Act:
    "Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan" means the plan created
by the Comprehensive Housing Planning Act (Public Act 94-965,
effective June 30, 2006).
    "Context Sensitive Solution Process" means the process by
which IDOT develops the scope of transportation projects, in
accordance with Public Act 93-545, effective January 1, 2004.
    "CDB" means the Illinois Capital Development Board, which
is responsible for overseeing the design, construction,
repair, and renovation for State-funded, public buildings,
including, but not limited to, schools, colleges, museums, and
State recreation areas.
    "DCEO" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity, which is responsible for improving Illinois'
competitiveness in the global economy by administering
economic and workforce development programs.
    "HUD/DOT Sustainability Initiative" means an initiative
undertaken by the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban
Development ("HUD") and Transportation ("DOT") in partnership
to help American families gain better access to affordable
housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation
costs.
    "H+T Affordability Index" means the Housing and
Transportation Affordability Index, a tool that maps the
combined costs of housing and transportation for neighborhoods
within a metropolitan area.
    "IDOT" means the Illinois Department of Transportation,
which is responsible for statewide planning of transportation
and transit development.
    "IFA" means the Illinois Finance Authority, which is
responsible for issuing taxable and tax-exempt bonds, making
loans, and investing capital in initiatives that stimulate the
economy and create jobs.
    "IHDA" means the Illinois Housing Development Authority,
which is responsible for financing affordable housing
development.
    "Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation" or
"ICCT" means the committee created by Public Act 93-185,
effective July 11, 2003, to encourage the coordination of
public and private transportation services, with priority
given toward services directed toward those populations who are
not currently served or are underserved by existing public
transportation.
    "Metropolitan Planning Organization" refers to a regional
policy body, required by the federal government in urbanized
areas with populations over 50,000 and designated by local
officials and the Governor of the State to carry out the
metropolitan transportation planning requirements of federal
highway and transit legislation.
    "Task Force" means the Task Force codified by the
Comprehensive Housing Planning Act (Public Act 94-965,
effective June 30, 2006), which is responsible for statewide
planning of affordable housing and creating Illinois' Annual
Comprehensive Housing Plan in cooperation with multiple
agencies, including IDOT, IHDA, and DCEO.
 
    Section 15. Funding for non-Metropolitan Planning
Organization areas. Nothing in this Act shall reduce or divert
funds away from areas not located in a Metropolitan Planning
Organization area.
 
    Section 20. Adoption of the H+T Affordability Index;
Metropolitan Planning Organization areas. The H+T
Affordability Index or substantially equivalent affordability
measure, where available, shall be adopted by DCEO, IDOT and
IHDA as (1) a tool for the development of plans in Metropolitan
Planning Organization areas and (2) a consideration for the
allocation of funding for public transportation, economic
development, and housing projects in Metropolitan Planning
Organization areas; the distribution of economic incentives to
businesses in Metropolitan Planning Organization areas; and
the siting of public facilities in Metropolitan Planning
Organization areas, where appropriate.
 
    Section 25. Adoption of H+T Affordability Index; agencies.
    (a) The Task Force, in cooperation with the Interagency
Coordinating Committee on Transportation, shall consider the
H+T Affordability Index, results of the HUD/DOT Sustainability
Initiative, and the Context Sensitive Solution Process, along
with other applicable affordability measures, to create an
affordability definition and policy that incorporates housing
and transportation costs for Metropolitan Planning
Organization areas, where appropriate, and shall include both
in the Annual Comprehensive Housing Plan for Metropolitan
Planning Organization Areas.
    (b) DCEO, IDOT, and IHDA may use the H+T Affordability
Index and other applicable affordability measures to ensure
consideration of the combined costs of housing and
transportation in screening and prioritizing investments in
public transportation, housing, and economic development
projects in Metropolitan Planning Organization areas, where
appropriate.
    (c) CDB shall recommend the H+T Affordability Index to
ensure consideration of the combined costs of housing and
transportation when new public facilities are sited in
Metropolitan Planning Organization areas.
    (d) IDOT shall use its Context Sensitive Solution Process
for all transportation expansion projects within Metropolitan
Planning Organization areas and, where possible, shall work
with communities to enhance or provide opportunities for
transportation alternatives to personal automobiles where
mixed-use communities thoughtfully planned to lessen sprawl
exist or are appropriate.
    (e) IFA shall recommend the H+T Affordability Index to
ensure consideration of the combined costs of housing and
transportation in siting new buildings in Metropolitan
Planning Organization areas.

Effective Date: 1/1/2011