Resolution to add local elected officials for TDHCA scoring
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:07 pm
BACKGROUND:
During our research of the money trail for subsidized housing projects and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) scoring system for awarding federal subsidies, we discovered that the only elected officials who can affect scoring--both favorably and unfavorably--are State Representatives covering the property where the project is proposed to be located. Under current rules, if a state representative writes a letter of support for the project, +8 points are awarded; for no letter, 0 points, and for an opposition letter, -8 points. Letters from a local city council representative, county commissioner (i.e. outside city limits) or Municipal Utility Director have no such impact on scoring.
Another complication we discovered: in the case of the Cardinal Point housing project near 3M (2222 and River Place area), we found that the vast majority of constituents strongly opposed to the project are represented by State Rep. Paul Workman; however, the project property itself, on the other side of 2222 from River Place, is in State Rep. Donna Howard's District. Rep. Workman's office (which represents River Place constituents) correctly points out that they can't issue any letter regarding the project scoring. Rep. Howard's office could, but that office does not represent the River Place constituents.
This resolution calls for legislative change to allow additional elected representatives to affect scoring.
Don Zimmerman
District 6
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the location of subsidized housing is an issue of great importance to any community in which such housing is proposed to be located; and
WHEREAS, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) is the State agency tasked with awarding Federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to subsidize the construction of proposed low-income housing projects throughout Texas which the TDHCA deems meritorious of such an award; and
WHEREAS, in the scoring matrix used by TDHCA, and likewise as provided in State law, members of the Texas House of Representatives are the ONLY elected officials empowered to have a direct impact—both positively and negatively—upon the mathematical computation of points which the TDHCA uses to evaluate the merit of one proposed construction site being awarded a Federal grant versus another competing site; and
WHEREAS, members of City Councils around Texas, members of County Commissioners Courts around Texas, and members of the Boards of Directors of Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) around Texas, are not accorded by State law, or by TDHCA internal policies, to have comparable direct impact—both favorably and unfavorably—upon construction projects of this type and this disparity is cause for concern to the Austin City Council; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Austin, Texas does hereby urge the 84th Texas Legislature to enact legislation during this current 2015 Regular Session, which would add City Council Members, County Commissioners, and Board Members of MUDs, to the aforementioned Texas State law so that they, too, may have an impact in the awarding of such Federal funding.
During our research of the money trail for subsidized housing projects and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) scoring system for awarding federal subsidies, we discovered that the only elected officials who can affect scoring--both favorably and unfavorably--are State Representatives covering the property where the project is proposed to be located. Under current rules, if a state representative writes a letter of support for the project, +8 points are awarded; for no letter, 0 points, and for an opposition letter, -8 points. Letters from a local city council representative, county commissioner (i.e. outside city limits) or Municipal Utility Director have no such impact on scoring.
Another complication we discovered: in the case of the Cardinal Point housing project near 3M (2222 and River Place area), we found that the vast majority of constituents strongly opposed to the project are represented by State Rep. Paul Workman; however, the project property itself, on the other side of 2222 from River Place, is in State Rep. Donna Howard's District. Rep. Workman's office (which represents River Place constituents) correctly points out that they can't issue any letter regarding the project scoring. Rep. Howard's office could, but that office does not represent the River Place constituents.
This resolution calls for legislative change to allow additional elected representatives to affect scoring.
Don Zimmerman
District 6
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the location of subsidized housing is an issue of great importance to any community in which such housing is proposed to be located; and
WHEREAS, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) is the State agency tasked with awarding Federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to subsidize the construction of proposed low-income housing projects throughout Texas which the TDHCA deems meritorious of such an award; and
WHEREAS, in the scoring matrix used by TDHCA, and likewise as provided in State law, members of the Texas House of Representatives are the ONLY elected officials empowered to have a direct impact—both positively and negatively—upon the mathematical computation of points which the TDHCA uses to evaluate the merit of one proposed construction site being awarded a Federal grant versus another competing site; and
WHEREAS, members of City Councils around Texas, members of County Commissioners Courts around Texas, and members of the Boards of Directors of Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) around Texas, are not accorded by State law, or by TDHCA internal policies, to have comparable direct impact—both favorably and unfavorably—upon construction projects of this type and this disparity is cause for concern to the Austin City Council; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Austin, Texas does hereby urge the 84th Texas Legislature to enact legislation during this current 2015 Regular Session, which would add City Council Members, County Commissioners, and Board Members of MUDs, to the aforementioned Texas State law so that they, too, may have an impact in the awarding of such Federal funding.