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Policy Positions

Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers’ (TAAHP) mission is to be the primary advocate and leading resource for the affordable housing industry in Texas. TAAHP members support initiatives to increase the affordable housing supply and promote equitable distribution of affordable housing communities for Texans with limited incomes.

In accordance with the TAAHP Board-adopted mission, vision, and strategic plan, these policy priorities and positions are intended to provide clear guidance to members and stakeholders regarding TAAHP’s position on key public policy issues at all levels of government which impact affordable housing industry providers. While there are many worthwhile policy issues that intersect with affordable housing, the primary policy principles for TAAHP are as follows:

 

TAAHP supports polices that promote increasing funding and financing tools that encourage the development and preservation of affordable housing for Texas residents. This includes:

    • Preserving and increasing funding for federal affordable housing programs (e.g. Housing Tax Credit Program) to finance new construction and acquisition/rehabilitation of affordable housing developments.
    • Expanding access to funding to leverage private activity bonds (PAB).
    • Supporting initiatives to establish a state supported tax credit for affordable housing.
    • Encouraging state and local initiatives that provide funding for and improve the capability of housing providers to build safe, quality affordable housing communities.

TAAHP supports polices that reduce regulatory barriers to facilitate the supply, equitable distribution and quality of affordable housing development and construction. This includes:

    • Incentivizing the increase in supply of affordable housing units through market- driven approaches.
    • Reducing local and state regulations and fees pertaining to construction and permitting to help produce more affordable housing units.
    • Removing regulatory barriers that hinder the equitable distribution of affordable housing communities where the market has determined supply is needed.

TAAHP supports polices that reduce unnecessary development, funding, and maintenance costs that make it difficult to increase the supply of affordable housing. This includes:

    • Supporting regulatory changes to recognize true market costs of construction, materials, and development.
    • Supporting policies which promote consistency in property tax valuation for affordable housing.
    • Supporting the reasonable and consistent implementation of compliance requirements.
    • Supporting the consistent interpretation, application, and implementation of all legal and statutory requirements relating to affordable housing programs.
    • Supporting policies and regulations which reflect the original intent of the market driven tax credit program, including the mitigation of regulations which are intended to mirror rigorous federal entitlement program requirements.

TAAHP supports academic and industry research and policy initiatives that encourage access to opportunity in communities. This includes:

    • Increasing educational workshops for industry professionals, non-profit/government representatives, and housing advocates.
    • Identifying and establishing partnerships with stakeholders in complementary industries (e.g., community development, workforce development, healthcare, and education).
    • Leveraging member expertise to provide guest editorials and news articles to share industry knowledge and best practices.
    • Developing a resource library of in-house, academic, and industry produced case studies, white papers, and reports to be available for our members.
    • Inspiring and nurturing the next generation of diverse industry professions through partnerships with academic institutions and workforce centers, internships, and networking opportunities.

Become a Member

As a TAAHP member, you'll receive discounts to member events and the Texas Housing Conference, access to industry news, TAAHP's member directory, networking opportunities and so much more!