(Austin, TX) — Earlier today, Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa filed Senate Bill 665, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Sunset Bill. TDHCA provides vital services to Texas; it works hard to give Texans access to affordable housing, funding for community based support services, regulates the manufactured housing industry and distributes federal funds for disaster and economic recovery. However, some of the agency's programs require greater efficiency. Senator Hinojosa released the following statement.

"Mother nature poses many obstacles here in Texas - hurricanes, wild fires, flooding, tornadoes, freezes and droughts - but we lack a long term disaster recovery plan. That's one of the most important recommendations for this agency - we owe it to our constituents.

"We can't respond retroactively to disasters that affect thousands of lives and stunt the economy. When this bill passes, the Governor will be able to designate a lead disaster recovery agency before the storm hits. This will allow Texas to deploy resources faster, more efficiently - anticipating rather than reacting to a storm.

"The core mission of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is aiding in the development of communities through affordable housing, community services, and energy assistance programs. The agency also serves as a distribution center for financial tools that communities use to revitalize neighborhoods.

"Overall, this agency provides assistance in times of need, and this bill ensures that the department is running efficiently, in a way that maximizes the benefit of the resources it distributes to community service delivery partners. It streamlines the guidelines for eligibility, regulations and operations."

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