By: Lopez of Bexar	H.B. No. 5255

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the collection and publication of data on affordable
	housing by municipalities.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Subtitle A, Title 12, Local Government Code, is
	amended by adding Chapter 381, to read as follows:
	CHAPTER 381. COLLECTION AND PUBLICATION OF DATA ON AFFORDABLE
	HOUSING AVAILABILITY
	SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
	Sec. 381.001.  PURPOSE. The purpose of this chapter is to:
	(1)  empower residents in need of affordable housing
	with a greater awareness of available affordable housing options;
	and
	(2)  provide more standardized, transparent, and
	easily accessible affordable housing data to municipal
	governments, residents, and private entities; and
	(3)  promote economic development and equitable access
	to affordable housing availability.
	Sec. 381.002.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
	(1)  "affordable housing unit" means:
	(A)  an income-restricted housing unit, such as:
	(i)  income-restricted housing, including
	housing offered by the United States Department of Housing and
	Urban Development;
	(ii)  public housing;
	(iii)  housing obtained with a voucher
	provided through the housing choice voucher program under Section
	8, United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. Section 1437f);
	(iv)  permanent supportive housing provided
	by the Health and Human Services Commission;
	(v)  service-enriched housing provided by
	the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs;
	(vi)  housing provided by an affordable
	housing initiative operated by a municipality; and
	(vii)  rental units not described by
	Subdivisions (i)-(vi) for which rent is not more than 30 percent of
	the lowest household income quartile in a municipality.
	(2)  "public information" has the meaning assigned by
	Section 552.002, Government Code.
	Sec. 381.003.  APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to
	municipalities with a total population of 100,000 or more.
	SUBCHAPTER B. COLLECTION AND PUBLICATION OF DATA
	Sec. 381.051.  REQUIREMENT OF ANNUAL SURVEY. (a) The
	municipality shall conduct no less frequently than once per
	calendar year a survey of all affordable housing units within its
	jurisdiction and shall create a complete list of affordable housing
	units and maintain that data within a cloud-based data repository
	that allows for real-time updates of the housing data by approved
	users.
	(b)  For each unit in the list of affordable housing units
	described in Subsection (a), the municipality will also record the
	following characteristics, as applicable:
	(1)  the monthly rent amount organized by unit type and
	corresponding average median income (AMI) restriction;
	(2)  cost of basic utilities not included in the
	monthly rent amount;
	(3)  eligibility requirements for tenants, including
	but not limited to those laid out in Section 2306.004(15)-(17),
	Government Code;
	(4)  the length of any waiting list;
	(5)  distance to essential services;
	(6)  distance to community spaces, such as public parks
	or community centers;
	(7)  any social services provided for tenants,
	including but not limited to those included in the Permanent
	Supportive Housing Program as defined in 42 U.S.C. Section
	11381-11389 and Texas multifamily programs governed by the Uniform
	Multifamily Rules and applicable provisions of the Qualified
	Allocation Plan administered by the Texas Department of Housing and
	Community affairs under section 10.619 of the Texas Administrative
	Code; and
	(8)  a phone number, mailing address, and electronic
	mail address for the current property manager to inquire about
	renting the unit.
	(c)  The municipality may use information collected in
	previous surveys conducted in accordance with Subsection (a) or
	other information the municipality may have on record, provided
	that the municipality confirms such information is up to date.
	(d)  Any state agency may contact a municipality for the
	purpose of requesting any of the information outlined in this
	Section regarding affordable housing units within the
	municipality's jurisdiction and the municipality shall provide all
	pertinent public information in the municipality's records to the
	state agency.
	Sec. 381.052.  PUBLICATION OF DATA. (a) The municipality
	shall create a publicly available Internet web application and
	publically available mobile application or utilize an existing
	publicly accessible Internet web application and publically
	available mobile application to make available all public
	information collected in the survey outlined in Section 381.051
	such that:
	(1)  prospective tenants can search for individual
	affordable housing units and sort them according to the
	characteristics outlined in Section 381.051(b); and
	(2)  the complete survey data set as referenced in Sec.
	381.051(a) are available to review.
	(b)  The municipality shall update the Internet web
	application and database described in Subsection (a) as frequently
	as new public information outlined in Section 381.051 becomes
	available to the municipality.
	SECTION 2.  Section 371.001(a), Local Government Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The governing body of a municipality with a population
	of 900,000 or less may appropriate from its general fund an amount
	not to exceed one percent of the general fund budget for that year
	for the purpose of:
	(1)  advertising the municipality and promoting its
	growth and development[.]; and
	(2)  promoting awareness of affordable housing options
	within the municipality, including by promoting the Internet
	website outlined in Section 381.052, Local Government Code.
	SECTION 3.  Section 371.021(a), Local Government Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The governing body of a general-law municipality may
	appropriate from its general fund an amount not to exceed five cents
	per $100 assessed valuation for the purpose of:
	(1)  advertising the municipality and promoting its
	growth and development[.]; and
	(2)  promoting awareness of affordable housing options
	within the municipality, including by promoting the Internet web
	application and mobile application outlined in Section 381.052,
	Local Government Code.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023