FAQs
How do I find out general information about
subsidized housing?
Start by looking at the "Housing Information" page on our
Texas Housing Counselor.
How do I figure out which of the subsidized housing
programs I qualify for?
Ultimately you must first apply for the housing to find out
if you qualify.
Our Texas Housing Counselor will help you
narrow down your search for housing assistance you
qualify for by asking you some questions about you
income, family size, housing needs and location. It
can't tell you for sure what you qualify for but it
will help you to narrow your search and tell you where
to go to apply.
How do I apply for subsidized housing?
Once you have narrowed down your search on the Texas Housing Counselor, click on the
program you wish to apply for. You may then click on
"How do I apply?" for detailed instructions.
How can the Texas Low Income Housing Information
Service help me?
We are a private (not government) nonprofit organization
that works on housing and community development issues.
Find out more about what TxLIHIS does..
We do not build, own or manage any housing. Since many
low-income people have contacted us over the years asking
how they can get low-income rental housing, we have
developed an extensive Web site called the Texas Housing Counselor that provides
detailed, step-by-step information on how to qualify
and apply for low-income rental housing. Finding out
where to apply and which program is best for you can
be a difficult, complicated task. Our Web site makes
it easy by asking you some basic questions that will
help you find the housing program that meets your
unique needs. Our Web site is the only resource we
have to offer to those seeking low-income rental
housing.
Do not be discouraged: if you don't find the housing you
are looking for on our Web site, there is another option.
Every member of Congress has a staff member whose job it is
to assist their constituents with problems such as the ones
you may be facing. This person should know the local
community and how you can find the services you need.
To find your member of Congress, go to http://congress.org/congressorg/home/
and enter your ZIP code in the “Contact
Congress” box . Then click the "info" link to
get the phone number of the main district
office. Another link will give you the numbers
of additional district offices; call the one that is
nearest to you. Ask for the person who handles
constituent services. Explain your situation, and ask
for suggestions on how to best access affordable
housing in your district. The constituent
caseworker should be able to point you in the right
direction or suggest resources in your area.
How can I support your work?
1) Subscribe to and read our free monthly newsletter;
2) Join us at our annual Texas Houser Awards luncheon and
fundraiser to enjoy great barbeque and publicly
recognize the individuals who make an outstanding
contribution to housing each year. Subscribers to our
newsletter will receive an invitation to the awards
ceremony. Contact Kristin Carlisle at
kristin@texashousing.org if you wish to attend;
3) Make a donation to support our work (click the "donate"
button on our Home page).
Where do I find information about buying a home?
We do not build, own or sell any housing.
We do not offer information on programs such as Habitat for
Humanity that helps low-income people buy a house. You can
can find information about Habitat for Humanity on their
Web site at http://www.habitat.org/.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a
Web site with some information on buying a home http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/buying/buying.cfm.
HUD has a publication on home buying that you may find
useful. Call HUD at 1-800-569-4287 and ask for the booklet
entitled "Buying Your Home – Settlement Costs and
Helpful Information" or view the booklet on-line at
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/res/sfhrestc.cfm
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service
homebuyer housing programs are described at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tx/sfh.htm.
You may also want to try Fannie Mae Homepath, at
800-732-6643, or on the Web at http://www.homepath.com
What are my rights as a renter?
We receive many questions from Texas tenants about their
rights and have worked with Legal Services attorneys to
create a Web site that provides general information on this
issue. We are not attorneys and cannot answer specific
questions about your situation.
There are two tenants' rights organizations in Texas that
may be able to assist you.
Texas Tenants Union
4228 Main St
Dallas, TX 75226
(214) 823-3486
ttu@mail.ont.com
The Austin Tenants' Council
1619 E. Cesar Chavez
Austin, TX 78702
Counseling Line (only for residents of the city of Austin
and Travis County)
(512) 474-1961 (M-F 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.)
The Austin Tenants' Council offers tenant-landlord
counseling online, via email. Submit your query to
questions@commoner.com. They require that you provide the
following information along with your question:
• Your Full Name
• Your Address (include City, State and Zip Code)
• Whether you are a tenant, landlord, etc.
How do I get assistance in getting repairs made to
a house that is owned by a low-income person?
We are a private (not government) nonprofit organization
that works on housing and community development issues. We
do not make loans or grants to help people repair their
homes.
Resources to help owners repair low-income housing may be
available from private lenders, and the local, state, or
federal government. To find resources in your area you will
need to contact your local banks as well as your city and
county government offices.
The state office that makes some funding available for
repairs is:
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Physical Address:
Waller Creek Office Building
507 Sabine Street
Austin, TX 78701
Mailing Address:
P.O. BOX 13941
Austin, TX 78711-3941
Telephone: (512) 475-3800
http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us
The federal government has two agencies that provide some
funding for housing development: U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development and United States Department of
Agriculture's Rural Housing Service.
In urban areas contact:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410
Telephone: (202) 708-1112 TTY: (202) 708-1455
http://www.hud.gov
The regional HUD office for the state of Texas is:
Fort Worth Regional Office (HUD)
801 Cherry Street
PO Box 2905
Ft. Worth, TX 76113-2905
Telephone: (817) 978-5965
Fax: (817) 978-5567
http://www.hud.gov/local/tx/working/localoffices.cfm
HUD has a web page that describes their home repair
programs at http://www.hud.gov/owning/index.cfm
In small cities and Rural Areas contact the United States
Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service at:
Rural Housing Service National Office
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Room 5037, South Building
14th Street and Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Telephone: 202-720-4323
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/index.html
The Rural Housing Service State office is:
United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development
Texas State Office
101 South Main Street, Suite 102
Temple, TX 76501
Phone: (254) 742-9700
Fax: (254) 742-9709
TDD: (254) 742-9712
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tx/
The Rural Housing Service has a web page that describe their home
repair grants and a Web page that describes their home
repair loans
Where do I find information about developing or
building housing for low-income families?
We do not build, fund, own or manage any housing.
Resources to build low-income housing may be available from
private lenders, state and local government and the federal
government. To find resources in your area you will need to
contact your local banks as well as your city and county
government offices. The state office that makes some
funding available is:
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Physical Address:
Waller Creek Office Building
507 Sabine Street
Austin, TX 78701
Mailing Address:
P.O. BOX 13941
Austin, TX 78711-3941
Telephone: (512) 475-3800
http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us
The federal government has two agencies that provide some
funding for housing development: the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Rural Housing Service.
In urban areas contact:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410
Telephone: (202) 708-1112 TTY: (202) 708-1455
http://www.hud.gov
The regional HUD office for the state of Texas is:
Fort Worth Regional Office (HUD)
801 Cherry Street
PO Box 2905
Ft. Worth, TX 76113-2905
Telephone: (817) 978-5965
Fax: (817) 978-5567
http://www.hud.gov/local/tx/working/localoffices.cfm
For small cities and rural areas, contact the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service at:
Rural Housing Service National Office
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Room 5037, South Building
14th Street and Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Telephone: 202-720-4323
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/index.html
The Rural Housing Service State office is:
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Texas
State Office
101 South Main Street, Suite 102
Temple, TX 76501
Phone: (254) 742-9700
Fax: (254) 742-9709
TDD: (254) 742-9712
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tx/
Finally, below is a list of nongovernmental organizations
that will provide information to developers interested in
constructing housing for low-income renters and owners:
• The Enterprise Foundation, 410/964-1230 http://www.enterprisefoundation.org
• The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC),
202/785-2908 http://www.liscnet.org/
• National Council of State Housing Agencies,
202/624-7710 http://www.ncsha.org
Where do I find information about the colonias in
Texas?
Our Border Housing Coalition web site at http://www.bordercoalition.org
I live in subsidized housing now and I want to move
to another city. How do I transfer my housing assistance?
If you are receiving assistance from the Section 8 Housing
Choice Voucher program and wish to transfer to another
city, first speak to your apartment manager or housing
authority (HA) to learn all the details.
For the first year, you must live in the same area where
you applied and and received Section 8 assistance from your
local HA. After one year, you may move to another city or
state, provided your income still qualifies you for Section
8 in the city where you are moving.
To summarize, this is the process:
1) Inform the HA that you want to move to another town or
city.
2) The HA must determine whether you are income-eligible
for Section 8 in the new town or city.
3) The HA tells you how to contact and request assistance
from the new HA in the area where you wish to move.
4) You must promptly contact the receiving HA and comply
with their procedures for incoming portable families.
5) If the new HA requires you to be re-certified, promptly
provide the information the HA requires.
Note: The new housing authority may not delay issuing you a
voucher unless re-certification is necessary to determine
income eligibility.
Remember to talk to your housing authority counselor or
apartment manager before you take any actions related to
moving. If you don't, you may risk losing your housing
assistance altogether.
How do "rent to own" housing programs work?
"Rent to own" deals are frequently misused home financing
mechanisms whereby the seller requires the buyer to put
down money for an "option" to eventually buy the property.
Often, these deals are laden with excessive late fees and
high interest rates. TxLIHIS recently worked with the
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
(ACORN), Texas Representative Harold Dutton, and State
Senator Eddie Lucio to pass legislation that provides some
protections to buyers in "rent to own" arrangements.
However, we have never seen a "rent to own" home buying
offer that was anything other than a bad deal for a
low-income homebuyer. We urge consumers to avoid any
dealings with people offering such financing arrangements.
What can I do about the housing crisis?
Think gobally. Act locally.
Globally: Educate yourself about the policy issues and
speak out as a member of the National Low Income Housing
Coalition or as a supporter of the Texas Low Income Housing
Information Service. Contact your representatives in
Congress, urging them to make affordable housing a public
policy priority. Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter.
Locally: Work with your church or community organization to
advocate decent housing for all. Think about getting hands
on by supporting a non-profit community development
corporation in your city or organize your own. Volunteer
with a homeless service organization or local Habitat for
Humanity affiliate. Meet with members of your city council
and ask them to support initiatives that will make your
city or town an affordable place for everyone to live.
How do I keep up with housing issues?
For Texas Housing issues click on the "Learn" tab at the
top of this page. For in-depth stories on select current
issues look through the back issues of our newsletter Housing Matters.
For information about national housing issues we recommend
the National Low Income Housing Coalition. http://nlihc.org
