Accessible housing reporting requirement advanced

Senators gave first-round approval Feb. 24 to a measure intended to help policymakers determine the number of accessible multifamily housing units in Nebraska.

Under the Municipal Density and Missing Middle Housing Act, metropolitan, primary, and first class cities with a population of at least 20,000 are required to submit biennial reports to the Urban Affairs Committee.

The reports provide details on cities’ efforts to address the availability of and incentives for affordable housing through zoning, ordinances and regulations.

LB839, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Victor Rountree, also would require cities to report the number of multifamily housing units that have been designed and built within city limits in accordance with the federal Fair Housing Act’s accessibility requirements.

Rountree said many of the approximately 13% of Nebraskans with disabilities are living in housing that does not meet their needs.

“By adding this requirement,” he said, “we ensure that we have accurate information about the needs in communities and will be better able to respond accordingly.”

An Urban Affairs Committee amendment, adopted 27-0, would require cities to report the number of accessible multifamily housing units built since Jan. 1, 2021, rather than March 13, 1991, as originally proposed.

Rountree said the amendment is a compromise with cities intended to make it easier for them to gather the required information.

Sen. Bob Andersen of Omaha opposed LB839, saying the additional requirement would impose an unfunded mandate on cities when the need for accessible housing is unclear.

Omaha Sen. Terrell McKinney, chairperson of the committee, supported the bill and the amendment, saying the shorter lookback period would minimize any financial burden on cities.

He said the additional information would help developers better understand which communities lack accessible housing, improving the use of state funds already dedicated to affordable housing programs.

LB839 advanced to select file on a vote of 29-1.