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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The availability of decent, safe, and affordable |
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| 6 | 7 | | housing is essential for Texas families and communities to thrive |
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| 7 | 8 | | and prosper; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The United States Department of Housing and Urban |
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| 9 | 10 | | Development deems housing "affordable" when occupants pay no more |
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| 10 | 11 | | than 30 percent of household income for gross housing costs, |
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| 11 | 12 | | including utilities; families who must devote a greater proportion |
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| 12 | 13 | | of their budgets to housing are considered cost burdened, as they |
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| 13 | 14 | | may struggle to purchase such necessities as food, clothing, |
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| 14 | 15 | | transportation, and medical care; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, The latest HUD data indicate that 12 million renters |
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| 16 | 17 | | and homeowners across the nation are severely burdened by housing |
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| 17 | 18 | | expenses that consume over 50 percent of their incomes, and more |
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| 18 | 19 | | than 2.5 million people are annually evicted from their homes; the |
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| 19 | 20 | | crisis is particularly acute for the very poor, minorities, and the |
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| 20 | 21 | | elderly; the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program was |
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| 21 | 22 | | designed to help those in greatest need, but the number of LIHTC |
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| 22 | 23 | | units being built has dwindled over the last two decades, and today, |
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| 23 | 24 | | vacancies are rare and waiting lists are long; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, In Texas, 39 percent of households rent, and nearly |
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| 25 | 26 | | a quarter of those households are extremely low income; overall, |
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| 26 | 27 | | almost a third of households are housing-cost burdened, and the |
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| 27 | 28 | | current shortage of affordable homes is estimated at more than |
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| 28 | 29 | | 626,000; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Historic factors in the lack of affordable housing |
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| 30 | 31 | | include segregation, the "redlining" process, in which banks |
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| 31 | 32 | | refused to issue home loans in minority neighborhoods, and other |
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| 32 | 33 | | forms of discrimination; in recent years, gentrification and wage |
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| 33 | 34 | | stagnation have exacerbated the problem; a 2017 report by the |
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| 34 | 35 | | Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas found that Texas housing costs |
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| 35 | 36 | | jumped 34 percent between 2010 and 2015, while incomes rose by a |
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| 36 | 37 | | mere 14 percent; the report warned that declining housing |
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| 37 | 38 | | affordability has eroded the state's cost-of-living advantage and |
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| 38 | 39 | | imperils its long-term economic and population growth; and |
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| 39 | 40 | | WHEREAS, The lack of affordable housing has a profound impact |
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| 40 | 41 | | on health, child development, educational attainment, |
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| 41 | 42 | | socioeconomic mobility, and community safety and stability; |
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| 42 | 43 | | fortunately, Texas has a long tradition of investing wisely in |
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| 43 | 44 | | affordable housing, including both rental units and homes, and |
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| 44 | 45 | | continuing to expand this investment can assist families, |
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| 45 | 46 | | strengthen communities, and build a foundation for ongoing economic |
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| 46 | 47 | | prosperity; now, therefore, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 48 | 49 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 4 through 10, 2018, as Texas |
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| 49 | 50 | | Affordable Housing Week. |
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