The Texas State Senate News

BROWNSVILLE- In a crowded room, the Senate Interim Committee on Housing convened at the Brownsville Public Library on Friday, November 21. The committee is charged with seeking affordable housing solutions for all Texans. The committee will also assess the effectiveness of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) and the Texas State Affordable Housing Commission (TSAHC) in serving individuals and families of low, very low and moderate incomes.

"These issues are particularly important in the Rio Grande Valley where unemployment rates are over twice and sometimes three times the state's average, and the average weekly wage is 35 percent lower than the state's average," said Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. of Brownsville, chair of the committee. "We must explore innovated plans and ideas to make housing affordable."

Other members include Senators Carlos F. Truan of Corpus Christi, Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio, Rodney Ellis of Houston, and Florence Shapiro of Plano.

The next hearing is tentatively scheduled for January 12, 1998 in San Antonio. The committee will report its findings and recommendations to the 76th Legislature which will convene in January, 1999.

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