§7-20-7a. Impact fees for affordable housing.

(a) The Legislature finds that:

(1) There is a lack of affordable housing in counties that impose impact fees because the cost of the fees along with the economic conditions in those counties has resulted in low and moderate income persons, persons on fixed incomes, the elderly and persons with special needs, not being able to obtain safe, decent and affordable housing;

(2) A lack of affordable housing affects the ability of a community to develop and maintain strong and stable economies, and impairs the health, stability and self-esteem of individuals and families; and

 (3) Financing affordable housing particularly in high growth counties is becoming increasingly difficult.

For these reasons, it is in the public interest to encourage counties that have imposed impact fees and those considering the imposition of impact fees to fairly assess and discount impact fees so as not to limit safe, decent and affordable housing.

(b) On or before July 1, 2012, a county imposing impact fees shall enact an affordable housing component with a discount impact fees schedule, based upon the new homes value compared to the most recent annual single dwelling residential housing index created in section two-b, article one, chapter eleven of this code, to the county's impact fees ordinance. The impact fees schedule shall be updated annually to reflect the changes to the single dwelling residential housing index.

(c) The affordable housing component shall:

(1) Take into account all the different types of housing, including single family detached, single family attached, duplex, town house, apartment, condominium and manufactured home; and

(2) Include a discount for mobile homes, as defined in section one, article one, chapter seventeen-a of this code, based upon the value set out in the National Automobile Dealers Association book.

(d) The county commission shall annually approve, by a majority vote, any increase or decrease in the impact fees schedule.