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County housing program update: $1M TDHCA self-help contract progressing, local nonprofit reports rapid spending
Summary
County staff and contract administrator told commissioners the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs $1,000,000 self-help contract is on track to meet an Aug. 31 expenditure milestone and the state has offered a follow-on award.
County planning and development staff on Aug. 5 updated the Cameron County Commissioners Court on the status of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) self-help contract CSH 230519, a $1,000,000 program that funds reconstruction of dilapidated housing in eligible colonias.
Daniel Tijerina of the county's planning and development department told the court the contract is set to bid six housing reconstructions. The reconstructions would demolish existing dilapidated structures and replace them with new Energy Star-certified manufactured housing units, he said. Five of the awardees live in Sebastian (Willacy County) and one in Arroyo Colorado (Cameron County); staff said concentrated outreach was performed in several eligible colonias but applicant response has been stronger from Sebastian.
Rob Stevenson, representing Equity CDC (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit the county hired to operate the self-help center), told the court his organization signed on about seven months into the four-year contract cycle and moved quickly to meet a milestone that requires $300,000 in expenditures by Aug. 31. Stevenson said the contract is "on the verge" of meeting that threshold and expected to be about 60% to 70% expended by the end of the day on Aug. 5. He said, based on performance, the state has pledged an additional contract for $800,000; of that amount $600,000 would be dedicated to reconstruction. Stevenson added Equity CDC intends to leverage $600,000 pledged by the Cameron County Housing Finance Corporation to build new stick-built houses in Cameron County.
Commissioners acknowledged the report by motion. No votes were recorded to change the contract; the court moved to "acknowledge" the update.
Why it matters: The program funds replacement of unsafe housing with energy-efficient units in eligible colonias; meeting the Aug. 31 expenditure milestone preserves eligibility for additional state funding. The county and its nonprofit contractor reported progress and new state support, but commissioners requested continued updates as work proceeds.
Speakers quoted in this article are attributed to the names and roles used in the meeting record.
