PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1033 PRINTER'S NO. 1137
No. 962 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY GREENWOOD, JONES, HART, LAVALLE, HELFRICK AND
REIBMAN, APRIL 12, 1991
SENATOR GREENWOOD, URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, AS AMENDED,
MAY 7, 1991
AN ACT
1 Authorizing certain counties to increase the recording fees of
2 deeds and mortgages to support or enhance local affordable
3 housing efforts.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Optional
8 County Affordable Housing Funds Act.
9 Section 2. Legislative purpose.
10 The General Assembly intends to provide an alternative method
11 for county governments to raise revenues at the local level to
12 enable county residents to purchase or rent quality residential
13 housing.
14 Section 3. Definitions.
15 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
16 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
17 context clearly indicates otherwise:
1 "Affordable housing effort." Any program or project approved
2 by the county commissioners which increases the availability of
3 quality housing, either sales or rental, to any county resident
4 whose annual income is less than the median income of the
5 county.
6 "County." Any county of the second, second A, third, fourth,
7 fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth class. The term does not include
8 any county of the first class.
9 Section 4. Optional fee increases.
10 The county commissioners OR THE GOVERNING BODY of each <--
11 county, as defined in section 3, shall have the power and may,
12 by ordinance increase the fees charged by the recorder of deeds
13 for recording deeds and mortgages under the act of June 12, 1919
14 (P.L.476, No.240), referred to as the Second Class County
15 Recorder of Deeds Fee Law, and the act of April 8, 1982
16 (P.L.310, No.87), referred to as the Recorder of Deeds Fee Law.
17 The additional fees levied by the county commissioners shall not
18 exceed 100% of the amounts charged on the effective date of this
19 act.
20 Section 5. Disposition of proceeds.
21 All additional moneys raised under section 4 shall be
22 deposited in the general fund of the county and shall be
23 allocated as follows:
24 (1) A minimum of 60% or such higher amount as may be
25 determined by the county of the additional revenue shall be
26 set aside in a separate account to be used to fund affordable
27 housing efforts in the county. Fifteen percent of the amount
28 allocated under this paragraph may be used by the county for
29 the administrative costs associated with the affordable
30 housing efforts.
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1 (2) No more than 40% of the additional revenue may be
2 used for any county purpose.
3 Section 6. Affordable housing efforts.
4 Affordable housing efforts may include, but shall not be
5 limited to:
6 (1) Providing local matching funds to secure National
7 Affordable Housing Act of 1990 HOME funds.
8 (2) Assisting or supporting housing efforts by the
9 Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency AND BY COMMERCIAL BANKS <--
10 AND THRIFT INSTITUTIONS.
11 (3) Supporting secondary SECOND SOFT mortgage programs. <--
12 Section 7. Effective date.
13 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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