The Texas House overwhelmingly passed reforms to a controversial affordable housing program over the weekend, with more than 100 members voting to crack down on alleged abuses of the system that critics say did little to provide reduced rents for low-income families.
In a lopsided bipartisan vote of 113 to 15, members approved Rep. Gary Gates’ (R-Richmond) House Bill (HB) 21 to address Housing Finance Corporations (HFC), which offer 100 percent tax exemptions for up to 99 years to apartment owners and developers who purportedly set aside some units to be leased at reduced rents.
