I haven’t discussed it much yet, but there’s a lot to be said about the new Low Income Housing Tax…
Category: State issues
From following laws changed through the Supreme Court of Texas and the Texas Legislature to programs and procedures of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, we’re exploring statewide issues here.
It is not a proposal to build a toxic waste dump for Pete’s sake!
I came across this sign today in Austin providing a “public notice” regarding an application to build housing for the…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 7/7/2009
The word-on-the-street is that “things are going to get worse before they get better:” a massive wave of foreclosures looms…
Final recap of all housing related bills we followed in the Texas Legislature
I previously blogged about the fate of bills considered by the past session of the Texas Legislature that pertained to…
An interesting new, on-line look at Texas poverty
The College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin has unveiled a very useful and interesting way to…
Article explores causes of American Housing Foundation collapse
The Austin American-Statesman’s Eric Dexhiemer has a really good background story on the collapse of the American Housing Foundation in…
TX State Affordable Housing Corporation granted a reprieve
The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) won a reprieve from the Texas Legislature yesterday. The housing agency, along with…
Why was the leader of a failed Texas housing nonprofit a major political contributor to Texas officials?
Steve Sterquell, the one-time head of the now bankrupt Amarillo, Texas nonprofit affordable housing corporation American Housing Foundation, gave out…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 6/30/2009
Like a caboose on a wayward train, renters feel the brunt of the ongoing housing debacle. Their plights are largely…
Governor Perry’s failure to appoint a consumer board member proves costly
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) could not meet to conduct business yesterday because it could not…
Texans worried about their economic condition, housing concerns high on list
A new public opinion poll found that 37 percent Texans say their family’s economic situation is worse than one year…
Doggett/Henneberger diavolg on consumer protection legislation for mortgage borrowers in the Texas Legislature
Robert Doggett worked on behalf of TxLIHIS during the past session of the Texas Legislature, One of his main focus…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 6/23/2009
A surge of mortgage defaults is forecasted as the housing industry slowly sinks further into the general recession. The Texas…
What would Daniel Boone do? The dilemma of imposing state regulations to improve housing in Texas colonias
“We continued not in a state of indolence, but hunted every day, and prepared a little cottage to defend us…
Texas LIHTC corruption case should embarrass us into taking action
I don’t know who, if anyone, is guilty in the Dallas Low Income Housing Tax Credit public corruption case that…
Texas colonia problems need to be put back on the front burner
Eight to ten years ago the colonias were subject to public attention and policy action. Funds were appropriated to provide…
Governor Perry vetos three affordable housing bills
Texas Governor Rick Perry has vetoed three affordable housing bills passed by the Texas Legislature. HB 3983 by Rep. Rodriguez…
Getting closer to finding out why so many Texas hurricane survivors were denied housing assistance
The pieces are slowly coming together to answer the question, why were so many applications for FEMA housing assistance in…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 6/16/2009
While market analysts search vainly for glimmers of hope in the housing industry, foreclosure rates continue to soar. Efforts to…
Katrina Cottage pilot program woes due to failure at all levels
How many times do we have to hear the story before it sinks in? Let’s sum up the government response…
Roundup of housing related bill action affecting TDHCA by the Texas Legislature
I am finally getting around to compiling the list of all the bills that passed and those that did not…
TX Legislature seeks better homes, faster repairs for hurricane survivors
It has been almost a year since Hurricane Ike’s and Hurricane Dolly’s floodwaters rose above streets, and above doors and…
Texas to receive an additional $1.7 billion for hurricane rebuilding
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD is allocating $3.7 billion in disaster aid to 11…
How Ike and future hurricanes impact Black households disproportionately
African-American households reside in areas most vulnerable to hurricanes in the greater Galveston Bay area. Census tracts in which 60%…
Bo McCarver’s weekly housing news compilation – 6/9/2009
Housing stories were scarce this week as national economic and international events dominated the news. The business indicators remained gloom,…
A confession: we’ve learned firsthand the reasons for disaster rebuilding delays
I have to fess up. Having pointed out in yesterday’s blog the unacceptably slow pace of rebuilding homes destroyed in…
Texas home rebuilding for hurricane survivors unacceptably slow
As we approach the four year anniversary of Hurricane Rita it’s appropriate to take stock of how well the efforts…
Karen Paup’s testimony on post hurricane housing rebuilding in Texas
Note: Karen Paup was invited to testify before a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security Committee on post-hurricane housing disaster…
I thought pigs would fly first, but landlord and tenant advocates work together
A strange, good thing came about in Texas in landlord tenant relations during this session of the Texas Legislature. After…
Texas Monthly blows it on Yvonne Davis rating
I am not a big fan of Paul Burka of Texas Monthly or his 10 Best and 10 Worst of…