By: Whitmire S.B. No. 1827
(In the Senate - Filed March 30, 2005; April 4, 2005, read
first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
Relations; April 25, 2005, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 25, 2005, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the system by which an application for a low income
housing tax credit is scored.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 2306.6710, Government
Code, is amended to read as follows:
(b) If an application satisfies the threshold criteria, the
department shall score and rank the application using a point
system that:
(1) prioritizes in descending order criteria
regarding:
(A) financial feasibility of the development
based on the supporting financial data required in the application
that will include a project underwriting pro forma from the
permanent or construction lender;
(B) quantifiable community participation with
respect to the development, evaluated on the basis of written
statements from any neighborhood organizations on record with the
state or county in which the development is to be located and whose
boundaries contain the proposed development site;
(C) the income levels of tenants of the
development;
(D) the size and quality of the units;
(E) the commitment of development funding by
local political subdivisions;
(F) [the level of community support for the
application, evaluated on the basis of written statements from
state elected officials;
[(G)] the rent levels of the units;
(G) [(H)] the cost of the development by square
foot; and
(H) [(I)] the services to be provided to tenants
of the development; and
(2) uses criteria imposing penalties on applicants or
affiliates who have requested extensions of department deadlines
relating to developments supported by housing tax credit
allocations made in the application round preceding the current
round or a developer or principal of the applicant that has been
removed by the lender, equity provider, or limited partners for its
failure to perform its obligations under the loan documents or
limited partnership agreement.
SECTION 2. Subsections (f) and (g), Section 2306.6710,
Government Code, are repealed.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to an application for a low income housing tax credit filed on or
after the effective date of this Act. An application filed before
the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on
the date the application was filed, and the former law is continued
in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
* * * * *