Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs - Building Homes and Strengthening Communities
 

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TDHCA Programs Overview

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (Department) will be the Texas governmental agency administering several significant programs under the Recovery Act: Prevention of Homelessness, Weatherization, Community Services Block Grant, Housing Tax Credit Assistance, Housing Tax Credit Exchange, and Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The Department, in administering these programs, will promote transparency and efficiency. Although the Department will, using Recovery Act funds, add resources to administer these programs, as the programs wind down the Department will return to normalized staffing levels.

CDBG Disaster Recovery Program

Visit the program page for CDBG Disaster Recovery.

Colonia Self-Help Centers (SHC)

The Department was given a legislative directive to establish SHC's in Cameron/Willacy, El Paso, Hidalgo, Starr, and Webb counties; two additional centers opened in Maverick and Val Verde County. SHC's provide on-site technical assistance to low and very low-income individuals / families on housing, and community development activities, infrastructure improvements, and outreach and education. Operation is carried out through a local nonprofit organization, local community action agency, or local housing authority that has demonstrated the ability to carry out the functions of a SHC.

Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG)

The Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG) provides administrative support to a network of local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) that provide services to very low-income persons in all areas of the state. The funding helps provide such essential services as childcare; health and human services for children, families and the elderly; housing; and other poverty-related programs. (Top)

Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP)

The Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) combines case management, education, and financial assistance to help very low- and extremely low-income consumers reduce their utility bills to an affordable level. Services include utility payment assistance, energy education and budget counseling. (Top)

Contract for Deed Conversion Initiative (HOME Division)

The Contract for Deed Conversion Initiative is available to residents who are currently purchasing residential property within 150 miles of the Texas-Mexico border and reside in a colonia identified by the Texas Water Development Board or meet the Department's definition of a colonia are eligible to apply for conversion assistance. The Department is currently accepting applications from residents interested in converting their contract for deed into a traditional note and deed of trust. (Top)

Emergency Shelter Grants Program (ESGP)

The Emergency Shelter Grants Program (ESGP) funds provide grants to eligible entities that provide shelter and related services for homeless persons, as well as intervention services to persons threatened with homelessness. Activities eligible for funding include renovation of shelters for use as homeless shelters; assistance in obtaining permanent housing; medical and psychological counseling and supervision; and developing and implementation of homeless prevention activities. (Top)

HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program

The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) provides grants and loans to help local governments, nonprofit agencies, for-profit entities, and public housing agencies provide safe, decent, affordable housing to extremely low-, very low- and low-income families. HOME allocates funds through four basic activities: Homebuyer Assistance, Rental Housing Development, Owner-Occupied Housing Assistance, and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance. The program has a 15 percent set-aside for community housing development organizations and a 10 percent set-aside for special needs, including the homeless, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and persons with AIDS. (Top)

Housing Center

The Housing Center (Research and Planning section) in the Division of Policy and Public Affairs acts as a central clearinghouse for information regarding TDHCA programs and for general housing & housing related issues. The section provides educational materials and assistance to the public, community-based housing development organizations, nonprofit housing developers, and other state and federal agencies. This assistance emphasizes increasing the state's capacity to develop and deliver housing for extremely low- very low-, low-, and moderate-income individuals and families. The Housing Center is also responsible for the publications that TDHCA is required to submit to receive funding from both the state and federal government. For more information, contact Elizabeth Yevich by email at Elizabeth Yevich or (512) 463-7961. (Top)

Housing Tax Credit Program

The Housing Tax Credit Program is the primary means of directing private capital toward the creation of affordable rental housing. Developers of low-income rental housing use the tax credit to offset a portion of their federal tax liability in exchange for the production of affordable rental housing. To qualify for the tax credit, either 20 percent or more of the project's units must be rent-restricted and occupied by individuals whose income is 50 percent or less of the median family income; or 40 percent or more of the units must be rent-restricted and occupied by individuals whose income is 60 percent or less of the median family income. (Top)

Housing Trust Fund Program

The Housing Trust Fund is the only state-authorized program dedicated to increasing the state's supply of affordable housing. The program awards funds on a competitive basis to nonprofit and for-profit organizations, local governments, public housing authorities, community housing development organizations, and income eligible individuals and families for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction of affordable housing. The Housing Trust Fund also sets aside 10 percent of each annual allocation for Capacity Building Activities and up to 10 percent for the Pre-development Revolving Loan Program. (Top)

Manufactured Housing Division

The Manufactured Housing Division implements state and federal laws to regulate the manufactured housing industry in Texas and is the only regulatory function of the agency. The division ensures that manufactured homes are well-constructed and installed correctly; that consumers are provided fair and effective remedies; and that measures are taken to ensure economic stability for the Texas manufactured housing industry. The division also monitors manufacturers' performance in handling complaints; performs post-production monitoring; conducts training and issues licenses, state seals and statements of ownership and location; performs installation inspections; and investigates consumer complaints. (Top)

Texas Mortgage Credit Program

The Texas Mortgage Credit Program allows qualified buyers to claim a credit of up to $2,000 against federal taxes based on a percentage of annual mortgage interest paid. It increases a family's disposable income by reducing its federal income tax obligation. The tax credit is valid for the life of the loan as long as the borrower occupies the property as their primary residence.

Multifamily Housing Preservation Initiatives

Preservation of existing affordable and subsidized housing stock is a critical element to achieving the Department's mission to provide safe, decent and affordable housing. Given current demographic projections for the state of Texas, stabilization of the existing stock of affordable housing is as equally important as new production in terms of meeting future demand for housing. (Top)

Multifamily Mortgage Revenue Bond Program

The Multifamily Mortgage Revenue Bond Program issues mortgage revenue bonds to finance loans for qualified nonprofit organizations and for-profit developers. In an effort to target low-income populations, properties financed are subject to unit set-aside restrictions for low-income tenants, such as rent limitations and other requirements set by TDHCA and its Governing Board. For example, 75 percent of all units created with mortgage revenue bonds must be occupied by households that are at 80 percent or below AMFI. In addition, five percent of the units are reserved for special-needs tenants. (Top)

Statewide Housing Assistance Payments Program (Section 8)

The Statewide Housing Assistance Payments Program (Section 8) provides rental assistance subsidy vouchers to families earning less than 50 percent of area median family income (AMFI), the elderly, and persons with disabilities. The statewide program is designed specifically for needy families in small cities and rural communities served by similar local or regional programs. (Top)

Texas "Bootstrap" Loan Program

The Texas Bootstrap Loan Program is required under Subchapter FF, Chapter 2306, Texas Government Code, to make available $3 million for mortgage loans to very low-income families (60% Area Median Family Income) not to exceed $30,000 per unit. This program is a self-help construction program, which is designed to provide very low-income families an opportunity to help themselves through the form of sweat equity. All participants under this program are required to provide at least 60 percent of labor that is necessary to construct or rehabilitate the home. All applicable building codes will be adhered to; under this program. In addition, nonprofit organizations can combine these funds with other sources such as those from private lending institutions, local governments, or any other sources. However, all combined loans can not exceed $60,000 per unit. Funds for the initiative come from the Department's Housing Trust Fund and other sources. The program is administered through TDHCA's Colonia Self-help Centers and State Certified Owner-Builder Housing Programs across the state. (Top)

Texas First Time Homebuyer Program

The Texas First-Time Homebuyer Program channels below-market interest rate mortgage money through participating Texas lending institutions to eligible families who are purchasing their first home, or to those who have not owned a home in the past three years. Although income limits may vary with each bond issue, the program is designed to serve very low- to moderate-income (30 to 115 percent of AMFI) Texas families. (Top)

Texas Statewide Homebuyer Education Program (TSHEP)

Texas Statewide Homebuyer Education Program (TSHEP) is designed to work with local nonprofit organizations to teach the principles and applications of comprehensive pre- and post purchase homebuyer education, and to certify participants as homebuyer education providers.

Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps low-income Texans-particularly the elderly and persons with special needs-control energy costs to ensure a healthy and safe living environment. The program funds the installation of weatherization materials and provides energy conservation education. (Top)