HBA-JEK H.B. 3206 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3206
By: Turner, Sylvester
Urban Affairs
4/2/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The United States Congress created the Section 8 program in 1974 in an
effort to help poor, elderly, and disabled people rent decent housing in
locations of their choice.  In Texas, the Section 8 program is the primary
affordable housing program and is offered through the Texas Department of
Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).  Though the Section 8 certificate
and voucher programs were merged in October, 1999 to give tenants more
choice regarding their living locations, Texas voucher holders face fewer
housing choices today because the low apartment vacancy rates in many of
the state's cities have resulted in fewer landlords accepting the vouchers.
House Bill 3206 prohibits multifamily rental housing developments funded or
administered by TDHCA from excluding an individual or family from admission
to the development for participating in the housing Section 8 voucher
program. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3206 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Department
of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) to prohibit multifamily rental
housing developments funded or administered by TDHCA from excluding an
individual or family from admission to the development  because of
participation in the housing choice voucher program under Section 8 of the
United States Housing Act of 1937.  The bill also requires TDHCA to
prohibit multifamily rental housing developments from using a financial or
minimum income standard that requires an individual or family in the
Section 8 voucher program to have a monthly income of more than 2-1/2 times
the individual's or family's share of the total monthly rent. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.