HBA-TYH H.B. 1090 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1090
By: Burnam
Urban Affairs
3/15/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Approximately four million Texans live with a disability.  Persons with
disabilities are more likely to be poor than non-disabled persons and are
often unable to secure and maintain employment. Thus, persons with
disabilities are likely to have housing cost burdens and housing problems.
Currently, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
(department) does not have a rent subsidy program designed for people with
disabilities.  Additionally, existing barrier removal programs and
development of accessible housing stock is not meeting the needs of Texans
with disabilities. 

H.B. 1090 requires the department's housing trust fund to allocate 15
percent of its funds to develop integrated, accessible housing, to provide
long-term rent subsidies to those with disabilities, and to remove barriers
to accessibility in existing housing.  The bill also requires that the
housing trust fund prioritize the funding of projects which assist very low
income Texans. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority previously delegated to the governing board of the Texas
Department of Housing and Community Affairs is modified in SECTION 2
(Section 2306.203, Government Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 2306.202(a), Government Code, to require at
least 15 percent of funds available through the housing trust fund to be
set aside in each biennium and made available exclusively to assist
individuals with special needs, as defined by Section 2306.511
(Definition). 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 2306.203, Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 2306.203.  RULES REGARDING ADMINISTRATION OF HOUSING TRUST FUND.  (a)
Requires the governing board of the Texas Department of Housing and
Community Affairs (board) to adopt rules to give priority to programs that
assist individuals and families of very low income and to provide for the
administration of funds set aside under Section 2306.202(a) (Use of Housing
Trust Fund) to assist individuals with special needs.  Makes a conforming
change. 

(b)  Requires the rules adopted by the board under Subsection (a)(7) to
include rules providing: 

(1)  for a process to set priorities for use of the set-aside funds;
  
(2)  for the distribution of the set-aside funds under a request for a
proposal process developed and approved by the board; and 
  
(3)  that the criteria used to rank proposals will include the extent to
which the set-aside funds are: 
   
(A)  directed toward development of integrated, multifamily housing
projects in  which the funds are used to provide units for individuals with
special needs; 

(B)  used to provide rental assistance to individuals with special needs
living in single-family or multifamily housing; and 
   
(C)  used to improve the physical accessibility of existing single-family
or multifamily housing to individuals with special needs.  

SECTION 3.Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 5.Emergency clause.