Sponsor outlines H.826 to create Land Access and Opportunity Fund, tax study and land security working group
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Summary
Lead sponsor Regina introduced H.826 to create a Land Access and Opportunity Fund to support tenant purchases, renovation, cooperatives and transitional housing; the bill also requests a tax incentives/penalties study and a land security working group to report by December 2026.
Regina, the lead sponsor of H.826, presented the bill’s intent and main components to the General & Housing committee, saying the act aims to "support the human right to housing and to promote public health and community safety by preserving affordable housing and creating new social and economic opportunities." She asked the committee to consider the bill or incorporate parts of it into other work.
What the bill would do: Regina said the bill adds a statutory Land Access and Opportunity Fund to support purchases by current tenants to expand owner‑occupied housing, renovation of owner‑occupied multiunit housing, development of cooperatives and transitional housing, and prioritized funding for historically marginalized groups. She listed specific priorities including regenerative local infrastructure, co‑located health and workforce resources, and cooperation with public‑private partners.
The bill also would direct the Department of Taxes and the Joint Fiscal Office to report on tax incentives and penalties aimed at preserving affordable housing and promoting tenant ownership, including fiscal impact projections. Regina said that report should consider different affordability measures and how tax incentives might encourage property owners to sell to tenants.
Regina described a land security working group to assess disparate economic and environmental justice impacts of land use and conservation policies (including Act 250 and 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 181) and to submit recommendations to the legislature by December 2026. She noted the working group would include many stakeholder members and that members should be paid if not otherwise eligible.
Why it matters: The fund and study seek to direct public and private resources toward projects that increase affordable, resilient ownership and community infrastructure while prioritizing people experiencing homelessness, those with disabilities, people with substance‑use disorder, individuals with justice‑system involvement, youth connected to DCF, elders, and the agricultural workforce.
Next steps: Regina urged the committee to hear a more detailed walk‑through from Ledge Counsel and staff of the Land Access and Opportunity Board and to consider JFO cost estimates for the report and any appropriation for the fund. The committee did not take a vote; Regina concluded her remarks and the panel moved to a break.
