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The Senate Committee on intergovernmental Relations met for an organizational meeting and to hear invited testimony. 

After opening statements were made rules were adopted.

Tim Irvine, Executive Director, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)

  • Programs aimed at eradicating homelessness and poverty are mostly funded by federal dollars, but Texas has also  contributed up to $23 million from state GR to implement the following:
    • Texas’ eight largest cities are working together to create programs to reduce homelessness – funded through Homeless Housing and Services
    • The Boot Strap Program and Amy Young Barrier Removal Program are both funded by the State Trust Fund
  • TDHCA provided $1.4 million for construction and rehabilitation projects to develop more affordable housing
  • TDHCA currently monitors over 225,000 housing units each year – risk for compliance
  • Chairman Eddie Lucio Jr. asked if there were any best practices in other states that Texas should model
    • Texas is admired by other states for its affordable housing plan – encouraged to seek out private companies for alternative model ideas

Jorge Ramirez, Deputy Director, Disaster Recovery, Texas General Land Office

  • Texas has set the precedent for recovery planning in compliance with federal law
  • 1,000 infrastructure sites, 1,000 single family homes, and 960 rental units across 62 counties have been built within the past year
  • 10 databases were recovered by the Texas Recovers initiative
  • Vice-Chairman Paul Bettencourt fascinated by the cloud feasibility study being conducted
    • Texas Recovers went to twelve separate agencies to identify similarities within its data and developed a ‘cloud’ that automatically pulls out data when looking for specific information
    • Vice-Chairman Bettencourt recognized more funding should be distributed towards this way of thinking
  • TexasRebuilds.com will launch next month to expand bandwidth and provide self-help services
  • Recommendation for legislature to create resilient programs for recovery planning:
    • Disaster recovery should be treated like a fire department not an incident
    • Damaged infrastructure should be built differently to avoid future repeated attacks
  • In coordination with TWDB, Texas General Land Office will participate in a drainage study in the valley focused on finding solutions for its flooding problem
  • Chairman Lucio Jr. commended the division for its ability to proactively plan for disaster and asked for key recommendations in regards to future natural disasters
    • There should be a continued ‘ramping up’ process within the organization to prepare for future incidents – 65 people currently operate a $3.1 billion operation
  • Senator Larry Taylor proposed for a coastal barrier to be built along the Houston port region – similar to the Galveston sea wall
    • $16 billion spent in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina – Houston project would only cost $6-8 billion and covers 5 times the population and economy

 
Justin Taack, Section Manager for Districts, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

  • Municipal Utility Districts (MUD) applications are reviewed and approved applications by the TCEQ before being implemented
  • Rules have been established for what MUDs are allowed to finance and report in their updates

 
Paul Sugg, Legislative Director, Texas Association of Counties

  • They represent all 254 counties in Texas 
  • Issues include:
    • Maintain local control or local discretion
    • One size does not fit all
    • Mental health issues cause problems in court systems and jails
    • Really need state hospitals beds
    • Transportation important
    • Would like to see a continued reduction of reliance from the legislature on dedicated funds

 
Don Lee, Executive Director, Texas Conference of Urban Counties

  • They have 35 urban counties at this point
  • Issues include:
    • They count finances as big issues and are solely dependent on overburdened property tax value system
    • Mental health care is significant for all
    • Solutions include transportation funding and mental health funding

 
Jim Allison, General Counsel, County Judges & Commissioners Association of Texas

  • They are a working committee and plan to be in front of the legislature often
  • Request to reduce unfunded mandates – good service/program but there was no money to pay for it
  • Most of time can just change “shall” to “may”
  • But if putting shall then send money with it
  • Fund some things that already mandates (attorneys for CPS cases – if funded that could lower property taxes)

 
Hon. Wes Suiter, Angelina County Judge & President, Texas Association Regional Councils

  • Role of regional council is to allow local governments to determine public policy
  • Regional hope to promote health safety and general welfare of the citizens
  • All 254 counties belong to regional council
  • Often partner with state agencies to promote: homeland security strategies, operating law enforcement training academies, solid waste planning, region wide service to the elderly, providing regional 911 systems, regional economic development 
  • Also in the business of helping with government response in the needs of the people and has a network that provides responses to services and needs
  • Sen. Garcia wanted clarification of where COGs get funding
    • Funding from COGS come from state and federal resources and funding is decided on formulas at COG level
    • Could not provide breakdown of total amount of state funding
  • Sen. Campbell followed up and requested a break down on show much the state provides in grants to COGs
    • Witness could not provide the information at that time 

 
Bennett Sandlin, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League

  • TML is the membership association of 1,146 Texas cities
  • Texas cities get virtually no money from state government for state services
  • TML’s general message this session: Texas cities are partners with state government to provide local services
  • TML asks for a close look at artificial mandates, limitations or restraints on their ability to function
  • Cities are playing a bigger role in building infrastructure (i.e. highways, reservoirs)
  • Cities get solid waste grants from COGs in regards to Sen. Garcia’s questions about funding going through the COGS

 
Frank Jackson, Executive Director, Texas Association Affordable Housing Providers

  • 300 members in the state
  • Collaborate to finance and instruct high quality homes, usually multifamily, that are available for below market rent
  • Also develop affordable work place and senior housing using taxpayer credits issued by the federal government
  • The QAP is the blueprint for developing housing credits used in Texas
    • It provides positive or negative points for successfully or failing to meet certain requirements
  • Residence must be employed or contain retirement benefits to show their ability to pay rent even though it may be below market rent for the area
  • Issues with affordable housing:
    • Bringing affordable housing to upscale communities

 
Scott Norman, Executive Director, Texas Association of Builders

  • TAB has over 10,000 members and affiliate with 28 local homebuilders associations
  • 98k new homes were built in Texas last year – these homes were responsible for over 700,000 jobs and 31.1 billion dollars to the Texas economy
  • TAB currently leads the nation in housing starts
  • For the last several years they have built more houses than Florida and California combined
  • Issues:
    • Housing affordability – estimated that nationally 25% of cost of home is due to government regulation – Texas not there but would like to keep it that way
  • Senator Bettencourt asks what the current projection is for new homes in Texas this year
    • TAB projects a 5% increase from the previous year
  • Senator Lucio asks how many people are finding homes and how many are actually building homes
    • TAB doesn’t have specific data but will look for it

 
Jeanne Talerico, Executive Director, Texas Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies

  • TALFA serves the needs of local housing finance agencies
  • Local housing finance corporations have ability to distribute tax exempt bonds for single families or multi families only at local level
  • TALFA’s consist of a 15 member board
  • Board of directors of each housing finance corporation are appointed  by the local jurisdiction

 
David Long, President, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation

  • TSAHC is a statewide 501c3 non profit
  • TSAHC is a five member board appointed by the governor of Texas
  • Mission: is to create safe and affordable housing for hard working low income Texas families
  • TSAHC consist of three homeownership programs
    • Homes for Texas Heroes
    • Home Sweet Texas
    • Mortgage Credit Certificate
  • Their Home Loan Programs offer 30 year fixed rate mortgage loans with a grant for down payment assistance
    • Since the beginning of the home loan programs, approximately 10,000 home buyers have utilized these programs
  • Senator Bettencourt asks if the tax foreclosed homes were property tax foreclosed homes or state tax foreclosed homes
    • Typically property tax foreclosed homes and they come through Bank of America

 
John Henneberger, Co-Director, Texas Low Income Housing Information Services

  • Three Texas housing problems
    • 1) There’s a massive shortage of affordable housing for the poor
      • The state provides only 23 million
      • TLIHIS proposes an additional affordable housing tax credit to guarantee equity and tax relief to low income renters
      • TLIHIS believes the state should also look into an increase in state trust fund
    • 2) Much of Texas low income housing is substandard and located in unsafe areas
      • TLIHIS says the state should fund flood control and public safety issues
      • They also say the state should continue to build new housing in higher quality neighborhoods
      • TLIHIS believes the state should partner with local fire officials, banks, to replace obsolete dangerous mobile homes
    • 3)  There’s room for improvement in most state housing programs

 
Amy Ledbetter Parham, Executive Director, Texas Habitat for Humanity

  • In Houston, there closing in on a 6 figure number of hours for volunteer work
  • Habitat for Humanity uses the Boot Strap Program to build more houses
  • Habitat has built 7,000 new homes in Texas alone since Habitat for Humanity started and has repaired thousands more
  • Economic impact study shows millions and millions of dollars returned to the state local governments for property tax
  • Habitat for Humanity encourages everyone to build the Boot Strap Program