Senate committee debates extending CHIP pilot, weighing housing-only versus economic development use

Members of the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee met Thursday, March 27, to discuss an amendment from the finance committee to the chamber's housing bill that would revise the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP).

Committee members spent the meeting focused on two central questions: the program's allowable uses (housing-only versus including economic development projects) and the length of the pilot sunset. The committee also divided responsibility for reporting sections of the bill and discussed strategy for moving the measure on the Senate floor later that day.

The committee confirmed reporting assignments for sections of the bill and identified which senators would present specific provisions on the floor at or after 1:00 p.m. Several members named sections 1–19 and specified that CHIP provisions appear in sections 16 and 17. One senator said, “It is Thursday, March 27…we are addressing an amendment to our housing bill from the finance committee,” and outlined who would present which sections.

On CHIP's…