HBA-NRS S.B. 1503 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1503 By: Lucio Urban Affairs 5/1/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (department) makes funding allocation decisions based on available housing needs data. The current state low income housing plan is based on data from the 1990 census. Senate Bill 1503 requires the department to complete an assessment of Texas housing needs based on data from the 2000 census. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 1503 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (department), in conjunction with the office of the comptroller of public accounts, to assess the present and future affordable housing needs of the border region and of the uniform state service regions of this state. The bill requires the department to use certain factors in making the assessment. The bill provides that the assessment must provide a assessment and conclusion regarding the adequacy of existing housing and lending programs to meet the affordable housing needs of each region. The bill requires the department to use the most current data available from the United States Census Bureau, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and federal and state banking regulatory agencies. The bill requires the department to project the affordable housing needs of each region as of the end of each five-year period occurring between September 1, 2001, and September 1, 2021, and as of September1, 2031. The projection of affordable housing needs must include a projection of the costs and nature of the affordable housing that will be needed in the future, including any special need for single-family or multifamily housing. The bill authorizes the department to use any available funding and to contract with a research center or a public senior college or university to make the assessment. Not later than the 180th day after the date the relevant information is released by the United States Census Bureau, the bill requires the department to submit a report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the legislature detailing the department's findings on the present and future affordable housing needs of the regions of this state. The provisions of the bill expire October 1, 2004. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.