Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1917 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R7629 JAM-D
2	2	By: Walle H.B. No. 1917
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment and implementation by the Texas
8	8	Department of Housing and Community Affairs of the Texas Tenant
9	9	Readiness and Landlord Incentive Pilot Program.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter K, Chapter 2306, Government Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 2306.254 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 2306.254. TEXAS TENANT READINESS AND LANDLORD
14	14	INCENTIVE PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
15	15	(1) "Program" means the Texas Tenant Readiness and
16	16	Landlord Incentive Pilot Program.
17	17	(2) "Program participant" means an individual or
18	18	family who receives assistance under the program.
19	19	(b) The department shall establish and implement the Texas
20	20	Tenant Readiness and Landlord Incentive Pilot Program to enable the
21	21	department to contract with and provide funding to local
22	22	governmental entities, including county and municipal housing
23	23	authorities, and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of
24	24	assisting, and providing incentives to landlords with respect to,
25	25	individuals and families who:
26	26	(1) are currently experiencing homelessness,
27	27	including newly homeless individuals and families for whom
28	28	providing assistance will prevent further homelessness and housing
29	29	instability;
30	30	(2) are fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic
31	31	violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human
32	32	trafficking; or
33	33	(3) were recently homeless or otherwise have a high
34	34	risk of housing instability, including persons experiencing
35	35	chronic homelessness and persons with disabilities.
36	36	(c) To identify local governmental entities to administer
37	37	the program, the department shall:
38	38	(1) issue a notice of funding availability; and
39	39	(2) establish an application and selection process as
40	40	described by Subsection (d).
41	41	(d) The application process established under Subsection
42	42	(c)(2) must require a local governmental entity to submit to the
43	43	department a housing search assistance plan that demonstrates the
44	44	entity's ability to help individuals and families obtain housing in
45	45	the area served by the entity. In selecting local governmental
46	46	entities to administer the program, the department shall consider
47	47	an applicant's:
48	48	(1) ability to serve:
49	49	(A) rural areas; and
50	50	(B) a variety of populations as differentiated by
51	51	age, gender, race, or ethnicity; and
52	52	(2) existing partnerships with other relevant local
53	53	entities, including landlords, direct service providers, and
54	54	housing authorities.
55	55	(e) A local governmental entity selected by the department
56	56	to administer the program may provide financial and other forms of
57	57	assistance, not to exceed a total value of $3,500 per household, to
58	58	cover the qualified costs of individuals and families described by
59	59	Subsection (b) who are recipients of assistance provided through
60	60	the housing choice voucher program authorized under Section 8,
61	61	United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. Section 1437f), or
62	62	another federal, state, or local housing voucher program.
63	63	(f) Qualified costs under Subsection (e):
64	64	(1) must include costs associated with a program
65	65	participant's initial housing search, including:
66	66	(A) the identification and visitation of
67	67	residential units that meet the participant's needs, including any
68	68	disability-related needs; and
69	69	(B) assistance with the completion of rental
70	70	applications and forms;
71	71	(2) may include other tenant-related costs associated
72	72	with obtaining housing, including:
73	73	(A) the payment of a holding fee required by a
74	74	landlord after a tenant's application has been accepted but before
75	75	the tenant's lease is signed;
76	76	(B) the provision of security deposit
77	77	assistance, provided that the deposit does not exceed the lesser
78	78	of:
79	79	(i) two months' rent;
80	80	(ii) the maximum security deposit allowed
81	81	under applicable state or local law; or
82	82	(iii) the actual security deposit required
83	83	by the landlord;
84	84	(C) assistance in obtaining utility services,
85	85	including any required deposit or the payment of arrears owed to a
86	86	utility service provider;
87	87	(D) the payment of initial moving expenses;
88	88	(E) the purchase of essential household items;
89	89	(F) renter's insurance; and
90	90	(G) the creation of a customized plan to address
91	91	or mitigate barriers a program participant may encounter in
92	92	attempting to obtain housing; and
93	93	(3) may include landlord-related incentives,
94	94	including:
95	95	(A) payments to a landlord who provides housing
96	96	under the program; and
97	97	(B) the payment of a landlord's costs associated
98	98	with any inspection or pre-inspection necessary to allow a
99	99	residential unit to be used in the program.
100	100	(g) Not later than January 1, 2028, the department shall
101	101	submit to the legislature a report documenting the outcomes of the
102	102	pilot program. The report must include:
103	103	(1) demographic information relating to program
104	104	participants, including identifiable demographic trends;
105	105	(2) a summary of the use of the financial assistance
106	106	provided under the program;
107	107	(3) an analysis of housing outcomes for program
108	108	participants, including:
109	109	(A) the period for which a program participant
110	110	remained in the residential unit that was the focus of the initial
111	111	assistance provided under the program; and
112	112	(B) any other known housing outcomes associated
113	113	with program participants;
114	114	(4) a summary of the experiences of the local
115	115	governmental entities that administered the program, and those
116	116	entities' suggested improvements to the program; and
117	117	(5) an analysis of the program's success in serving
118	118	individuals and families living in rural areas of the state.
119	119	(h) The department shall adopt rules necessary to
120	120	administer the pilot program. Rules adopted under this section
121	121	must establish eligibility requirements for participation in the
122	122	program.
123	123	(i) This section expires September 1, 2027.
124	124	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.