High summer temperatures in the Lone Star State are a regular occurrence. However, in recent years, extreme heat has grown…
Tag: Texas Legislature
A Little Louder Episode 55: 2023 Texas Legislature Mega Wrap Up And What Comes Next
Communications Director Michael Depland and Research Director Ben Martin team up for one last trip to the Texas Legislature. On…
Low-Income Housing at the 88th Texas Legislature in Review
The 88th Texas Legislature was a consequential one for low-income housing. Lawmakers faced an unprecedented crisis of housing unaffordability and…
A Little Louder Episode 53: Midway Update at the 88th Session
In this halftime report from the 88th Session of the Texas Legislature, or perhaps a little later in the game,…
A Little Louder Episode 52: From Eviction Courts to the Capitol (Part 2)
A Little Louder is back to talk about the latest in housing from the 88th Session. Texas Housers has been…
A Little Louder Episode 51: Housers and Allies at the Capitol (Part 1)
This supersized episode of A Little Louder features two special guests to talk about bills affecting low-income households at the…
Housing in Texas for Low-Income households is explained in three simple resources
Our research team at Texas Housers created simple-to-use handouts that demonstrate the great need for low-income housing in our state,…
These are the housing bills and issues we’re watching at the 88th Texas Legislature
Well, it’s that time again. The 88th Texas Legislature began on Monday, January 10th. We at Texas Housers have been…
A Little Louder Episode 50: What’s happening in housing at the 2023 Texas Legislature?
It’s a new year and a new session, the 88th to be exact, of the Texas Legislature. Communications Manager Michael…
A Little Louder Episode 49: Let’s Meet Texas Tenants For Change
This week, Texas Housers communications manager Michael Depland speaks with two members of Texas Tenants For Change – Myra and Beeper. The…
A Little Louder Podcast Episode 38: The American Rescue Plan Act and Tenants’ Rights
John is back in the booth for a new episode of A Little Louder! On the show the time, we…
Watch our Tenants’ rights 2021 Texas Legislature wrap-up
The 87th Texas Legislature was conducted under the most unique and difficult time for tenants in recent memory. With this…
Bedbugs, security deposits, and the vision to ensure Texas tenant protections
The unfortunate reality for tenants in Texas is that they are afforded very few protections. In fact, more bills have…
Housers advocacy agenda focuses on basic protections for renters
Texas renters need rights. With a dwindling supply of affordable housing, add a global pandemic that has sparked a financial…
Disaster survivors often faced double the financial toll when rebuilding their homes. A new law now ensures that won’t happen.
Following a natural disaster, a survivor’s road back to normal can be long and difficult. If they are lucky enough…
Late fees can destabilize renters struggling to get by. These punishing bills empowering landlords endanger them further.
Long-established Texas laws that have protected tenants for years from paying punitive and unreasonable late fees for overdue rent are…
If this small fix to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program pushed further, it could reshape affordable housing
Building affordable housing can be a long journey with approval needed from many groups and individuals along the way. Unfortunately,…
These bills strengthening Texas tenants’ rights and disaster recovery could reshape our future
Texans face a host of housing issues: an inadequate amount of quality affordable homes and the lingering effects of Hurricane…
Texas Housers tells state lawmakers that neighborhoods across the state must meet basic standards that keep Texans safe
Texas Housers urged state lawmakers this afternoon to ensure that all neighborhoods where Texans make their homes meet the basic…
Hurricane predicted to hit the Gulf Coast; Texas may not be prepared to recover
The National Hurricane Center projects that Tropical Storm Harvey is now expected to be a major hurricane by the time…
Austin City Council votes to sue state for prohibiting protections against voucher discrimination
Austin is finally fighting back against the state’s efforts to block a critical anti-discrimination protection. In 2014, the City of…
Beyond the bathroom bill, transgender Texans face housing discrimination and instability in dangerous political climate
This piece was written for Texas Housers by Michael Arria. The Texas Legislature has spent much of this summer’s special…
Proposed Texas constitutional amendment on home equity loans is “wolf in sheep’s clothing”
Texas dodged the worst of the foreclosure crisis that tanked much of the national economy a decade ago, thanks in…
Governor’s cut of colonia oversight program will cost state and endanger residents
This piece originally ran as a column in The Monitor on June 25. For decades the State of Texas looked the…
Finding the bright spots at the Legislature: Enhanced land and home protections for low income residents
The regular session of the 2017 Texas Legislature ended on May 29, and most housing-related legislation failed to advance through…
State bans another local affordable housing tool with anti-linkage fees legislation
Follow housing issues at the Texas Legislature and our full bill tracker here. Texas’ major cities face a housing affordability crisis…
Where housing legislation stands after key Texas House bill deadlines
Follow housing issues at the Texas Legislature and our full bill tracker here. We’ve reached a critical point in the state…
Legislators should be celebrating affordable housing, not fearmongering
I testified at a hearing of the Texas House of Representatives Urban Affairs Committee on May 2, speaking against HB 1792 by Rep.…
Update: Texas Senate approves expansion of innovative disaster recovery housing program
Follow housing issues at the Texas Legislature and our full bill tracker here. Update 5/8: SB 1673 by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. has passed…
Texas House bills add hurdles to affordable housing in affluent neighborhoods
We cover committee hearings and votes on key bills related to housing at the Texas Legislature, which concludes its 2017 session…