A RE-CAP OF THE TEXAS 87 th LEGISLATIVE SESSION
AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES INCH FORWARD By Victoria Wilson, TAAHP Policy & Regulatory Manager & Roger Arriaga, TAAHP Executive Director
T
he 87th Texas legislative session was anything but ordinary. Given an uncertain start during the pandemic, which involved rapidly changing safety protocols and limited public interaction and input, it was not clear what we could expect. What we did know early on, however, is that addressing the hardship caused by both COVID-19 and Winter Storm Uri would be priorities with the added complexity of a constrained budget. Amid these circumstances TAAHP maintained that housing had a role to play in the economic recovery: without safe, high-quality, affordable housing, families would struggle to rebound after the challenging year that had passed. With this in mind, TAAHP’s focus was on building relationships, advancing legislative priorities with no fiscal impact, supporting legislation that would advance TAAHP’s mission, and limiting legislation harmful to the industry. A seat at the table
TAAHP’s Government Affairs Committee, its leadership, lobby team, and staff worked diligently to connect with as many legislators as possible. Collectively, we succeeded by having met with nearly every member of the Senate, every incoming freshman legislator, the Lt. Governor’s, Governor’s and the Speaker’s offices, and many other key members and staff. These efforts were fruitful not only in educating members on Housing Tax Credits, but also in making TAAHP known as a valuable resource in the affordable housing space. More than any other session, TAAHP was sought out to provide input on housing bills, and offer testimony and support. These relationships and experience are invaluable and will be carried forward for sessions to come. TAAHP put considerable resources toward advancing HB 2027, which sought to limit restrictions on delivering affordable housing where it is most needed by lifting census tract restrictions, modifying the resolution of no objection (RONO) process, and allowing TDHCA to prioritize scoring items. In the House, opposition from Rep. Swanson led to a significant reduction in the bill. TAAHP launched an education and lobbying campaign that led to its passage by the House, but ultimately expired in the Senate as time ran short.
