Summary:

 Senate Bill 205 (SB 205) creates the Office of Housing Planning and Production, provides powers and duties, and declares an emergency.  

Legislation Overview:

 Senate Bill 205 (SB 205) creates the Office of Housing Planning and Production.

A definition is provided for “housing,” meaning real property and infrastructure that is residential housing, including rental housing, the housing portion of a mixed-use commercial and housing project and commercial property that is repurposed for residential housing. 

The Office of Housing Planning and Production (OHPP) is created and is administratively attached to the Department of  Finance and Administration (DFA). The purpose of the OHPP is to:

(1) reduce housing costs;
(2) increase statewide housing availability, including housing for low-income and homeless households;
(3) maximize resources to address statewide housing needs;
(4) address the underlying factors that are impacting housing costs and limited supply; 
(5) grow local programs and capacity to address housing needs and further fair housing; 
(6) identify state resources for housing; and 
(7) track housing progress through goal setting and data. 

The OHPP is to:

(1) develop a statewide strategy to build collaborative partnerships among state agencies and local stakeholders in addressing housing and homelessness, aligning programs and identifying resources; 
(2) provide technical assistance to local governments, Indian nations, tribes and pueblos and regional entities to improve housing regulation, further fair housing, increase housing development capacity and housing funding, grow local and statewide capacity for homelessness services and prevention and promote public-private housing partnerships; 
(3) align resources across state agencies and the private sector to identify new programs to increase capacity in housing finance and housing development and to grow the construction and trades workforces; 
(4) address the underlying factors that impact housing costs and availability, regardless of income;
(5) coordinate across state agencies and local stakeholders to address homelessness; 
(6) collect and report housing and land use data and outcomes at least annually to the Legislative Finance Committee;
(7) collect and report data at least annually to describe and monitor the housing market in regions of the state and statewide and establish housing production goals across income levels; 
(8) evaluate housing data to identify housing gaps and causes, duplication of efforts, and progress of current initiatives;
(9) analyze housing and economic development investments and initiatives, measure impacts of state, regional and local housing programs, monitor state and local efforts, support local efforts to meet defined housing goals, make necessary policy changes and investments to achieve housing goals and make findings publicly available; 
(10) create a framework for local governments to set goals for meeting housing needs across income levels; 
(11) grow local ability to meet housing needs;  
(12) identify ways that existing programs and capacities can address housing needs; 
(13) provide support to state agencies undertaking housing and housing-adjacent activities; and 
(14) perform nonduplicative duties assigned by the governor or the legislature to ensure that the state meets or exceeds the state's housing goals. 

An emergency is declared.
 

Current Law:

 New Mexico currently supports new housing through the New Mexico Opportunity Enterprise Revolving Loan Fund and the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund, but there is no office charged with the specific duties and responsibilities of the proposed OHPP.