A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Direct the department of commerce to work with local governments and regional councils of government to convene and organize regional ECONOMIC recovery housing alliances, as recommended by the joint legislative study commission on poverty reduction and economic recovery.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Department of Commerce shall work with local governments through the regional councils of government to establish Regional Economic Recovery Housing Alliances in each of the three geographic regions of the State, mountains, central and coastal. The Department of Commerce shall assist the regional councils of governments in identifying activities that will help local governments develop and manage housing‑related economic stimulus projects, thereby increasing economic activity, stimulating investment, and improving job retention and economic growth. The regional councils shall convene and organize regional housing recovery alliances, bringing together stakeholders including local governments, homebuilders, real estate professionals, community oriented banks, mortgage lenders, local economic developers, nonprofit community development organizations, housing counseling agencies, chambers of commerce, and major employers.
The councils of government shall use available funds to make pilot grants to an eligible local government in each of the three geographic regions, based on the presentation of a proposed work plan, to carry out the work plan, consistent with the purposes of this act.
SECTION 2.(a)  The Regional Economic Recovery Housing Alliances created in accordance with Section 1 of this act shall mobilize housing related economic stimulus efforts at a regional level tailored to market conditions and the needs of local governments in the region. The Alliances may pursue any of the following purposes:
(1)	Organize projects and financing that will put homebuilders, crews, and trades people back to work building and renovating homes.
(2)	Keep families that are facing foreclosure in their homes.
(3)	Prepare families for equity building homeownership.
(4)	Assemble financing for economic development projects, including affordable housing projects, from federal, State and other sources.
(5)	Promote construction projects that will meet regional needs and foster sound, sensible growth.
SECTION 2.(b)  The Regional Economic Recovery Housing Alliances shall build on work currently under way in many regions through the federal EDA, HOME, CDBG, and Weatherization programs, as well as programs of the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, and the Department of Commerce in order to leverage the use of public investments.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.