Bill Text: TX HB1810 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the workforce housing program by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-03-14 - Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs [HB1810 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB1810-Introduced.html
| 89R7677 JAM-D | ||
| By: Goodwin | H.B. No. 1810 | |
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| relating to the establishment of the workforce housing program by | ||
| the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter K, Chapter 2306, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 2306.2595 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 2306.2595. WORKFORCE HOUSING PROGRAM. (a) In this | ||
| section: | ||
| (1) "Fund" means the workforce housing fund. | ||
| (2) "Program" means the workforce housing program. | ||
| (b) The department shall establish the workforce housing | ||
| program to provide financial assistance to participating | ||
| municipalities to facilitate the construction and rehabilitation | ||
| of eligible workforce housing developments in those | ||
| municipalities. Financial assistance may be awarded from the fund | ||
| described by Subsection (e) to eligible developments in the form of | ||
| grants or low-interest loans for the purposes described by this | ||
| section and must be prorated, to the extent practicable, according | ||
| to the size of the participating municipality. | ||
| (c) To be eligible for financial assistance awarded by a | ||
| participating municipality under the program, a workforce housing | ||
| development must: | ||
| (1) consist of new construction or a substantial | ||
| rehabilitation of an existing facility; | ||
| (2) reserve a specified percentage of the units in the | ||
| development for occupancy of individuals and families earning: | ||
| (A) not less than 30 percent of the area median | ||
| income, adjusted for family size; and | ||
| (B) not more than 120 percent of the area median | ||
| income, adjusted for family size; and | ||
| (3) maintain the affordability requirements described | ||
| by Subdivision (2) for a period of not less than 20 years following | ||
| the date of receipt of financial assistance under this section. | ||
| (d) The department shall adopt rules to implement the | ||
| program, including rules that: | ||
| (1) provide criteria for determining which | ||
| municipalities may participate in the program; | ||
| (2) specify the percentage of units that a workforce | ||
| housing development must reserve to satisfy the affordability | ||
| requirements under Subsection (c)(2), to demonstrate eligibility | ||
| for financial assistance under the program; and | ||
| (3) provide a scoring system to be used by a | ||
| municipality to prioritize developments that are eligible for | ||
| financial assistance under the program. | ||
| (e) The workforce housing fund is a special account in the | ||
| state treasury. The fund consists of: | ||
| (1) money appropriated to the board for a purpose of | ||
| the fund; | ||
| (2) repayment of principal and interest from loans | ||
| made from the fund; | ||
| (3) money the board transfers to the fund from any | ||
| available source; | ||
| (4) depository interest allocable to the fund and | ||
| other investment returns on money in the fund; | ||
| (5) money from gifts, grants, or donations to the | ||
| fund; and | ||
| (6) any other fees or sources of revenue that the | ||
| legislature may dedicate for deposit to the fund. | ||
| (f) Financial assistance provided from the fund to an | ||
| eligible workforce housing development must be spent by the | ||
| recipient on the development not later than 36 months after the date | ||
| the assistance is received. | ||
| (g) Money provided from the fund that is not spent as | ||
| required by Subsection (f) must be returned to the department and | ||
| deposited to the credit of the fund. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
