Tex.
Gov't Code Section 2306.586
Self-help Center: Purpose and Services
(a)
The purpose of a self-help center is to assist individuals and families of low income and very low income to finance, refinance, construct, improve, or maintain a safe, suitable home and otherwise improve living conditions in the colonias’ designated service area or in another area the department has determined is suitable.(b)
A self-help center shall set a goal to improve the living conditions of residents in the colonias designated under Section 2306.583 (Self-help Centers: Designation)(b) within a two-year period after a contract is awarded under this subchapter.(c)
A self-help center may serve individuals and families of low income and very low income by:(1)
providing assistance in obtaining loans or grants to build a home;(2)
teaching construction skills necessary to repair or build a home;(3)
providing model home plans;(4)
operating a program to rent or provide tools for home construction and improvement for the benefit of property owners in colonias who are building or repairing a residence or installing necessary residential infrastructure;(5)
helping to obtain, construct, access, or improve the service and utility infrastructure designed to service residences in a colonia, including potable water, wastewater disposal, drainage, streets, and utilities;(6)
surveying or platting residential property that an individual purchased without the benefit of a legal survey, plat, or record;(7)
providing credit and debt counseling related to home purchase and finance;(8)
applying for grants and loans to provide housing and other needed community improvements;(9)
providing other services that the self-help center, with the approval of the department, determines are necessary to assist colonia residents in improving their living conditions, including help in:(A)
obtaining suitable alternative housing outside of a colonia’s area; and(B)
performing the following authorized public service activities under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. Section 5301 et seq.):(i)
securing employment;(ii)
establishing or expanding a small business;(iii)
developing professional skills; or(iv)
managing personal finances and achieving financial literacy;(10)
providing assistance in obtaining loans or grants to enable an individual or a family to acquire fee simple title to property that originally was purchased under a contract for a deed, contract for sale, or other executory contract; and(11)
providing monthly programs to educate individuals and families on their rights and responsibilities as property owners.(d)
A self-help center may not provide grants, financing, or mortgage loan services to purchase, build, rehabilitate, or finance construction or improvements to a home or otherwise improve living conditions in a colonia if water service and suitable wastewater disposal are not available.(e)
Through a self-help center, a colonia resident may apply for any direct loan or grant program operated by the department.
Source:
Section 2306.586 — Self-help Center: Purpose and Services, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.2306.htm#2306.586 (accessed Jun. 5, 2024).
