SRC-SLL H.B. 3340 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 3340
76R13010 KEL-DBy: Naishtat (Lucio)
Human Services
5/13/1999
Engrossed


DIGEST 

There are few affordable housing options for the elderly outside of nursing
homes.  Many older citizens live on small, fixed incomes and are often
unable to afford the expenses of maintaining their own homes or of keeping
up with increasing rents.  H.B. 3340 creates a rental housing pilot program
to expand long-term care options for elderly persons.    

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 3340 creates a rental housing pilot program to expand
long-term care housing options for elderly residents of this state with
low, very low, or extremely low income. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Defines "department."

SECTION 2.  Requires the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
(department), in coordination with the Texas Department of Human Services
(DHS), nonprofit organizations, public housing authorities, and any other
entity with an interest in housing issues to develop and implement a rental
housing pilot program (pilot program) to expand long-term care options for
elderly residents of this state.  Requires the pilot program to provide
subsidized multifamily rental housing for elderly residents with low, very
low, or extremely low income and to coordinate services needed by those
residents.  Requires the department, to the greatest extent possible, to
coordinate the program with the funding sources of DHS and other interested
entities.  

SECTION 3.  ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.  Sets forth the eligibility
requirements for participating in the pilot program.  Requires an entity,
in order to participate in the pilot program, to demonstrate that the
entity uses certain sources of low-income housing funds to offer
multifamily housing at rental rates that are at or below the applicable
fair market rent prescribed by the United States Department of Housing and
Urban Development. 

SECTION  4.  AFFORDABLE PARTICIPANT CONTRIBUTIONS.  Requires the department
to require a participating elderly resident of the state to pay from the
participant's financial resources a certain amount as rent.   

SECTION 5.  EVALUATION AND REPORT.  Requires the department, by December
15, 2000, to submit a report on the effectiveness of the pilot program.
Sets forth the recipients and content of the report.   

SECTION 6.  TERMINATION; EXPIRATION.  Provides that the pilot program ends
and this Act expires September 1, 2001. 

SECTION 7.  Emergency Clause.