1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to housing; providing matching funds for 
  1.3             rural Minnesota housing initiatives; appropriating 
  1.4             money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [AFFORDABLE OUTSTATE HOUSING; APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.7      $4,000,000 in fiscal year 1998 and $4,000,000 in fiscal 
  1.8   year 1999 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  1.9   commissioner of the housing finance agency for the purpose of 
  1.10  making grants in those amounts to the greater Minnesota housing 
  1.11  fund.  The grants shall be used to fund projects providing 
  1.12  affordable housing in the area of Minnesota outside of the 
  1.13  seven-county metropolitan area.  The grants must be matched in 
  1.14  cash by the fund.  To the greatest extent possible, the grants 
  1.15  must be used in projects where an employer has provided a 
  1.16  contribution in cash or in-kind for affordable housing for its 
  1.17  employees.