The recession slowly seeps into Texas as mortgage defaults climb within a sagging economy that is increasingly characterized by layoffs…
Author: John Henneberger
I started my commitment to housing justice for people and communities with low incomes in 1975 in Austin's Clarksville community. These years of working side-by-side with dedicated community leaders to find solutions to housing and community development challenges have taught me some things and I’m learning new things every day.The struggle begins to successfully design a TX Neighborhood Stabilization Program
I have previously expressed concerns about how the new Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) can be successfully implemented. I attended a…
Housing advocates tell HUD that TX Disaster recovery plan fails to disclose how the money will be spent
After reviewing the Disaster Recovery Plan that the Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA) submitted to HUD the Texas…
Texas once again has the nation’s highest homeowner insurance rates
A new study by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners reports that once again Texas has the highest homeowners insurance…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 3/3/2009
The nationalization of mortgage banks draws debate this week with conservatives arguing that “flexibility” will be jeopardized. Meanwhile, the inflated…
Can Texas handle the increase in homeless and low-income weatherization funds?
All of the money coming to Texas from the economic stimulus bill is a great thing. But as the size…
Texas share of housing funds from Economic Stimulus bill announced
Texas is set to receive $517,101,969 in funds for low-income housing from the Economic Stimulus Bill. This $517,101,969 is the…
Court rules that city fair housing certification is “not a mere boilerplate formality”
A landmark court ruling regarding the obligations of recipients of HUD funds to “affirmatively further fair housing” should be a…
President’s budget to fund Natinal Housing Trust Fund with $1 billion
President Obama’s budget provides $1 billion in funding for an Affordable Housing Trust Fund for the first time. The Housing…
Houston homeownership initiative spurs outrage – but there is a worse dimension to this story
In the wake of a storm of public outrage Houston Mayor Bill White ordered the city’s housing department to shelve…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 2/24/2009
The first infusion of federal money to bailout banks had insignificant impact on housing foreclosures as bankers channeled the money…
Senate Committee explores state role in easing home foreclosure problems
The Texas Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee held the first of what promises to be several hearings to explore the home…
Texas legislature focuses on unmet rural housing needs
It is no secret that rural housing needs have received far less attention than urban housing needs in Texas. A…
A failed housing program will always come back and bite the responsible entity
One had to feel sorry for Michael Gerber Thursday morning. Appearing before a subcommittee of the Texas House Appropriations Committee…
Housing Texas, TACDC, others to coordinate push for housing trust fund
Housing Texas, the Texas Association of Community Development Corporations and other affordable housing advocates and providers plan to coordinate visits…
Expansion and revisions to Texas Bootstrap Loan program proposed
Legislation has been filed to update and expand the highly popular Texas Bootstrap Loan program. Texas Senator Eddie Lucio (D)-Brownsville,…
Two Texas Senate bills seek to endow housing trust with $40 million per year
In response to requests by housing advocates who came together two weeks ago to support a dedicated fee bill to…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 2/17/2009
Foreclosures continue at record rates as the Obama Administration prepares an injection of money into the failing American economy. Meanwhile,…
Texas Senate to hear request for additional housing trust funds
The Texas Senate Finance Committee will consider the budget of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) on…
…and over affordable housing issues on the Texas Senate side
In response to my blog earlier today about the composition of the Texas House Urban Affairs Committee I was asked…
TX House Committee over housing programs dominated by Democrats; D-FW
Those of us who follow the Texas legislature closely have been waiting for the committee assignments for the House to…
The president hears a type of story that we hear every day
At his town hall meeting on Tuesday in Fort Myers Florida President Obama was confronted by Ms. Hughes, a woman…
What we mean by affordable housing: an open letter to Congress
In an open letter to Congress calling for more attention to affordable housing in the economic recovery bill, 547 housing…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 2/10/2009
As foreclosures convert homeowners to renters, construction of additional multi-family units to accommodate the surge languishes: the recession renders little…
Low income housing details of Senate compromise stimulus bill disclosed
The details of the Senate compromise bill for the economic stimulus package have come out. Here are the portions that…
Texas housing community calls of Legislature to provide $40 million per year for the Texas Housing Trust Fund
This week a group of about 100 people concerned with affordable housing for low income families met in Austin to…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 2/3/2009
All eyes were on the political struggle surrounding the Democratic stimulus program this week as more dismal news of foreclosures…
Proposed simulus bill fails to address low income housing adequately
The version of the stimulus package being considered by the Senate is a disappointment to those who had hoped that…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 1/27/2009
With the first round of bailout billions having rendered no progress in stemming foreclosures, the Obama Administration ponders where to…
February 3 meeting to discuss Texas housing legislation
The 81st session of the Texas Legislature has begun in the midst of an escalating housing crisis in Texas. This…