HBA-GUM S.B. 1387 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1387
By: Shapleigh
Urban Affairs
5/4/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Section 8 project-based rental assistance programs are the federal
government's major programs for assisting very low-income families, the
elderly, and the disabled to rent housing in the private market. As a
result of the expiration of these project-based Section 8 contracts,
thousands of units of multifamily housing in Texas are at risk of being
lost as affordable housing.  S.B. 1387 directs the department to contact
property owners participating in the Section 8 program whose contracts have
expired or soon will expire and to attempt to restructure those contracts. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Requires the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs,
under the authority granted by the contract with the United States
Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Multifamily Assisted
Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (Title 5, Pub. L. No. 105-65),
to contact and attempt to restructure the contracts of owners of property
who have contracted to provide housing assistance under Section 8, United
States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. Section 1437 et seq.) and whose
contracts have expired or soon will expire, to ensure permanent
affordability under the Section 8 housing assistance program for those
properties. 

SECTION 2.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.