MINUTES

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

Friday, February 29, 2008

9:00 a.m.

Capitol Extension, Room E1.028

 

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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations was held on Friday, February 29, 2008, in the Capitol Extension, Room E1.028, at Austin, Texas.

 

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MEMBERS PRESENT:		MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Royce West Senator Robert Nichols Senator Dan Patrick		Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr. Senator Jeff Wentworth

 

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The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m.  The following business was transacted: 

 

The Chair laid out the interim committee charge to study and make recommendations on Texas' housing programs, with particular focus upon assessing the existing use of state and federal housing funds in relation to statutory and budgetary mandates.

 

The Chair called the following persons to provide invited and public testimony on this interim charge.  See attached witness list.

 

A quorum was established at 9:09 a.m.

 

At 10:30 a.m., the Chair moved that the committee stand at ease until 11:30 a.m.  Without objection, it was so ordered.

 

At 11:36 a.m., the committee reconvened.

 

The Chair laid out the interim charge to study and make recommendations on Texas' housing programs, with particular focus upon significantly improving homeownership rates by evaluating Texas' efforts to address the growing housing need.  Efforts should include assessment of the range of tools which may be used to help low-income Texans develop equity through homeownership.  Tools should be evaluated in terms of their economic development impact, leverage of federal and private funds and how they are utilized in other states.

 

The Chair called the following persons to provide invited and public testimony on this interim charge.  See attached witness list.

 

The Chair laid out the interim charge to study and make recommendations on Texas' housing programs, with particular focus upon promoting home-ownership through self-help initiatives such as the Texas Bootstrap Loan Program.

 

The Chair called the following persons to provide invited testimony on this interim charge.  See attached witness list.  There were no public witnesses registered to testify on this interim charge.

 

The Chair laid out the interim charge to study and make recommendations on Texas' housing programs, with particular focus upon monitoring the expansion of the Housing Trust Fund by the 80th Legislature; review the funds of other states to develop recommendations for a permanent funding source for the Texas Housing Trust Fund.

 

The Chair called the following persons to provide invited and public testimony on this interim charge.  See attached witness list.

 

The Chair laid out the interim charge to study and make recommendations on Texas' housing programs, with particular focus upon evaluating the progress of affordable housing programs within the state and developing recommendations to boost the capacity of non-profits to build increased affordable housing.

 

The Chair called the following persons to provide invited testimony on this interim charge.  See attached witness list.  There were no public witnesses registered to testify on this interim charge.

 

There being no further business, at 2:24 p.m. Senator West moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

 

 

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Senator Royce West, Chair

 

 

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Tiffany White, Clerk