On February 29, 2024, Associate Policy Director Dominic Butchko testified before the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in support of SB 906- Housing and Community Development- Conversion of Commercial Buildings for Residential Use- Report with amendments. This bill requires counties to inventory vacant commercial buildings, develop a plan to convert these properties into residential use, and submit the report to the Department of Housing and Community Development.
As drafted, SB 906 presents several challenges around applicability and implementation. Counties remain at the disposal of the Committee to help craft amendments and to continue the conversation around this important issue.
From MACo Testimony:
Vacancy inventories and adaptive reuse (i.e. the conversion of commercial property to mixed-use/residential) are two major issues that counties have been discussing at great length leading up to the 2024 legislative session. County leaders spent several months assessing the viability of including either of these policy prescriptions as a component within MACo's 2024 housing package, but ultimately decided against it due to the significant fiscal and workforce constraints associated with both. Counties are supportive of these concepts and individually have begun taking action where appropriate.
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