HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

COMMITTEE:   Urban Affairs 

TIME & DATE: 10:00 AM, Monday, May 23, 2016 

PLACE:       Houston City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 
CHAIR:       Rep. Carol Alvarado 

Address: Houston City Council Chambers, Second Floor, 901 Bagby, Houston, Texas 77002

The House Committee of Urban Affairs will take invited testimony only on the following charges:

3.   Examine whether changes are needed to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs’s (TDHCA) low-income tax credit program to ensure compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs et al. v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., et al. on fair housing in Texas.

4.   Review existing housing programs and policies in Texas to determine how to best comply with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rules.

5.   Monitor and evaluate the availability of low-income housing in the State of Texas. Identify best practices to ensure that the agencies and local providers receiving state or federal funds for low-income housing are maximizing the number of units of housing available to Texans who need this program.

7.   Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies, including the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and the implementing of relevant legislation passed by the 84th Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should:

a) consider any reforms to state agencies to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens;

b) identify issues regarding the agency or its governance that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate;

c) determine whether an agency is operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and

d) identify opportunities to streamline programs and services while maintaining the mission of the agency and its programs.

NOTICE OF ASSISTANCE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS

Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, are requested to contact Stacey Nicchio at (512) 463-0850, 72 hours prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.