Regular readers of this blog have doubtless noticed the slowdown in postings over the past week. This is been due to the frantic pace of action that accompanies bill filing deadline at the Texas Legislature.
The Texas Legislature convenes only once every two years and then for a period that lasts only from mid-January to the end of May. The first month or so little happens as members wait for their committee assignments. In the background bills are being drafted. And then the sprint is on to beat the bill filing deadline of mid-March.
The deadline this year came last Friday, March 13.
The volume of bills related to affordable housing this session has been truly staggering. The mortgage and foreclosure crisis has resonated deeply at the Texas Capitol. We have been approached by dozens of members to provide information and background as they attempt to craft solutions to keep people in their homes.
Our three big projects have been to develop a long-term, stable funding source for the Texas housing trust fund, to solve the problems that have blocked affordable housing programs from effectively reaching small towns and rural communities in Texas, and to develop new initiatives and housing programs for the elderly, persons with disabilities and the homeless, capitalizing upon the additional funds being made available to the state through the Economic Stimulus Bill.
Anyway, all that came to a head as bills were filed last week. And all of that work has kept me from blogging is regularly as I would’ve liked. I’d like to say that I will get back on schedule but I suspect that postings at this site will come and go in spurts as we are asked to work with members of the Legislature to provide them background information and to testify on bills.
We’ll do our best in the coming week or two to post something describing the major housing legislation. So hang in there with us until we get back into a regular routine when the legislature adjourns at the end of May.
