2019 Homelessness Awareness Day (HAD) at the Capitol
We are busy working with the THN Advocates Committee on finalizing the legislative priorities that we will be sharing with our legislators during HAD.
Homelessness Awareness Day is an opportunity to educate our elected officials on homelessness in Texas and discuss policies that will help make it rare, brief, and one-time.
Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019
Time: 9:00.a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: We will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the Capitol Auditorium for a legislative briefing before appointments.
Please see the updated THN Legislative Priorities
Bills being drafted
THN President/CEO, Eric Samuels, worked with Senator Alvarado’s office on a bill that would provide funding for the creation of a statewide data-sharing network to aggregate and deduplicate HMIS data and allow for a great continuity of service for persons being served by homeless crisis response systems.
He also worked with Representative Bower’s office on a bill that would provide funding to bring affordable housing units up to habitability standards so that federal subsidies can be used against the unit to house people and move them out of homelessness.
Eric was notified on Monday, February 18, that both bills were sent to the Texas Legislative Council for drafting.
Bills we’re watching
In addition to THN’s legislative agenda, there are other bills filed by partner agencies that we will be supporting.
HB 1257
Author: Rosenthal
Description: Repeals the prohibition on local governments adopting and enforcing ordinances that prohibit housing discrimination based on a tenant’s use of a housing choice voucher
SB 234
Author: Nelson
Description: Expands the types of documentation which a victim of family violence can provide to a landlord in order to terminate a lease
HB 675
Author: Thierry
Description: Relating to a study and report by the Comptroller on the establishment and implementation of a program that provides financial assistance to property owners who offer housing to veterans at risk of homelessness
HB 123
Author: White
Description: Relating to the issuance of personal identification documents for foster children, homeless children or youth, and unaccompanied youth.
No bill number yet but should be filed soon
Author: Bowers
Description: Relating to trauma-informed training provided to first responders to inform treatment of youth experiencing homelessness.