UHC Takes Action on Legislative Issues

The Utah Housing Coalition will be watching several issues that relate to housing during the 2010 Utah Legislative General Session.

 

The preservation of manufactured homes communities through resident-owned communities, disclosure of properties contaminated by methamphetamine usage or manufacturing, protections for renters living in properties undergoing foreclosure and a constitutional amendment proposal to ban the creation of tax on the sale or transfer of real property are all issues that will be on the watch-list for the UHC.

 

The UHC is supporting the preservation of manufactured home communities’ issue which is being introduced by Rep. Jim Dunnigan. The bill would require that a notice be sent to each resident if a park is listed for sale, giving owners an opportunity to purchase their communities. The notice must be sent so residents can have 60 days to make an offer. Park owners would be required to negotiate in good faith with residents. The components of this bill would mirror those which have been adopted in other states.

 

Rep. Steve Mascaro is supporting a bill that would require full disclosure of methamphetamine contaminated properties. A law concerning this was passed during the 2009 session. However, the UHC and other supporters of the proposed bill want more teeth in the current law.

 

A bill that would protect renters in the event of a foreclosure is also being supported by the UHC. Rep. Wayne Harper is supporting the bill, which would put the federal law, the Protecting Family Foreclosure Act of 2009, into Utah State Code language. The bill would require “notices of sale to include information regarding renters’ rights so as to provide a clear, non-contradictory message,” according to a fact sheet provided by the Community Action Partnership of Utah. Tenants would be allowed to reside in their homes through the term of their lease or a minimum of 90 days if the bill were to pass.

 

The UHC is in opposition to the proposed constitutional ban on property tax transfer. This resolution would “prohibit the imposition of tax on the sale or transfer of real property or on the financing associated with a sale or transfer,” according to Francisca Blanc, a policy analyst for UHC. Those in opposition to the bill being sponsored by Rep. Gage Froerer say a transfer tax would be beneficial in raising funds for the development of affordable housing in Utah and should not be banned.

 

For more information about these and other issues being watched by the UHC, join the organization on Democracy Day on the Hill at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 1, at the Utah State Capitol. The day will include speakers, a course on advocacy, Legislative tours and a free lunch with your legislator. Register at www.caputah.org.