Issue Position: Affordability
Issue Position
Affordability has been Rep. Eddie Rodriguez's foremost legislative priority since his first election to the Texas House of Representatives in 2002 because, like Senate District 14, House District 51 is being transformed by the region's growth.
Rep. Rodriguez passed the pioneering Homestead Preservation Act (HPA) in 2005 that gave the City of Austin powerful tools - a land trust, a land bank, and a tax increment financing (TIF) zone - for helping people stay in their homes and growing the availability of affordable housing in an equitable way (HB 525 - 79R). Since then, Rep. Rodriguez has worked together with the city to update (2007, 2009 - vetoed by then Gov. Perry) and expand the HPA to include tools for preserving affordable rental housing, increasing the geographic scope of neighborhoods eligible for a homestead district, and providing our community with important new ways of addressing our affordable housing crisis and the needs of low-income families across our community (HB 3350 - 83R). Most recently, Rep. Rodriguez sought to update the HPA in 2017 to keep up with Austin's growth (HB 3281 - 85R), but Governor Abbott vetoed the bill and stopped three new Homestead Preservation Districts (HPD) from being set up in Austin - HPD A is the only one that is currently generating funds for affordable housing.
Created by City Council in 2018, HPD A is expected to generate approximately $21.8 million through the end of 2025 ("The duration of the zone was established as ten years by City of Austin Ordinance No. 20151217-099. The zone shall expire and dissolve on December 31, 2025 unless amended" - City of Austin HPRZ No. 1 Final Project & Financing Plan).
Rep. Rodriguez worked together with Senator Kirk Watson and Alan Graham to help pave the way for the pioneering Community First! Village that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community to people experiencing homelessness in East Austin by passing HB 2628 in 2009 (81R; also see HB 294 - 83R). HB 294 was designed to exempt property used by community housing development organizations to provide affordable housing for homeless individuals in Travis County from property taxes, making it possible for Community First! Village to make their finances work. This model is gaining attention as more and more communities across the world are struggling with affordability and homelessness.
In 2009, Rep. Rodriguez passed visionary, progressive "inclusionary zoning" housing legislation with Rep. Donna Howard, Rep. Elliott Naishtat and Senator Kirk Watson that would have eased the affordability crisis in Austin. HB 2692 (81R) would have given the City of Austin authority to require that developers include affordable housing in new multifamily developments of eight units or more located within a mile of commuter rail stations. Unfortunately, then-Governor Rick Perry vetoed the legislation along with Rep. Rodriguez's affordability bill HB 3893 that would have updated the HPA.
Rep. Rodriguez has advocated to the state for and helped to secure crucial funding for local affordable housing projects like Pathways at Chalmers Courts. In 2009 and 2013, he passed legislation to protect tenants from wrongfully having their electricity cut off that prohibit a landlord or landlord's agent from terminating electrical service under any circumstances other than repairs, construction, or an emergency (HB 882 - 81R, HB 1086 - 83R).
Rep. Rodriguez has fought to end source of income discrimination (HB 2187 - 86R), sought to give local governments the ability to opt-in to more affordable housing for their communities by bypassing the "2-mile rule" when there is a local need (HB 2186 - 86R), and worked to protect tenants from wrongful eviction and demolition of their homes and businesses (HB 3561 - 84R) after the owners of Jumpolin, a piñata store in East Austin, showed up to their store one morning to discover their business demolished. He has also explored policy solutions to help people facing displacement due to increasing property taxes, such as the "circuit breaker" study bill that he worked on together with Senator Watson that would have tied a household's property tax payment to their ability to pay (HB 3253 - 86R, HB 2692 - 81R).
Highlights:
Homestead Preservation Act (HB 525 - 79R)
Austin Chronicle
HUD Breakthroughs
Updated in 2013: HB 3350 - 83R
2017 update vetoed: HB 3281 - 85R
Fighting against source of income discrimination (HB 2187 - 86R)
Supporting local affordable housing projects
Paving the way for Community First! (HB 294 - 83R)
Circuit Breaker study (HB 3253 - 86R, HB 2692 - 81R)
Protecting tenants electric disconnection (HB 882 - 81R, HB 1086 - 83R)
Local government option to opt-out of "2-mile" rule (HB 2186 - 86R)
Requiring affordability in new multifamily developments near commuter rail stations (HB 2692 - 81R)
Policy Priorities:
Aggressively advance legislation that will provide people with the meaningful property tax relief they urgently need, anti-gentrification and forced displacement interventions
Mass transit for Austin, data-driven I-35 expansion that solves community need in alignment with community values
Since Austin has outgrown the original "bracket eligibility language" in the Homestead Preservation Act, update the law after the 2020 Census to restore our ability to use Homestead Preservation Districts moving forward
Successfully repeal the statewide ban on local ordinances prohibiting source of income discrimination, helping working families who rely on federal housing vouchers
Continue working with the community, local government partners and affordable housing developers to advocate for low-income housing tax credits to help address the local affordability crisis
Collaborate with service providers, community organizations, experts and advocates on a compassionate, comprehensive and long-term plan to address homelessness
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