37 Tex. Admin. Code § 195.81 - Temporary Housing Assistance Program
(a) Purpose. The temporary housing assistance
program is intended primarily to provide housing assistance for offenders who
have been approved for parole, but have no home plan, and to assist offenders
in the transition from community residential facilities and transitional
treatment centers. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is
authorized to pay for temporary housing for any offender who has insufficient
financial and residential resources when released on parole or mandatory
supervision on or after January 1, 2010.
(b) Criteria for Temporary Housing
Assistance.
(1) Temporary housing assistance
may only be provided if the TDCJ does not operate or contract for the operation
of a residential correctional facility in the offender's legal county of
residence. A residential correctional facility does not include a transitional
treatment center, a substance abuse felony punishment facility, or any other
facility operated by or under contract with the TDCJ for the primary purpose to
provide substance abuse treatment or aftercare.
(2) The temporary housing must have existed
on June 1, 2009, as either a multifamily residence or a motel unless the TDCJ
or the owner of the structure provides notice and has a public meeting as
required for a community corrections facility on the issue of whether the use
is appropriate.
(3) An offender's
family, personal sponsors, or anyone on community supervision, parole, or
mandatory supervision, or persons required to register as a sex offender are
not eligible to provide housing for temporary housing assistance.
(c) Temporary Housing Site
Approval.
(1) Any provider that wants to
provide temporary housing for an offender shall contact the TDCJ Parole
Division, Huntsville Placement and Release Unit, 1650 7th St., West Building,
Huntsville, Texas 77320.
(2) The
TDCJ shall investigate and approve the sites it deems appropriate. Factors
considered shall include whether:
(A) The site
is located within range of public transportation routes, or transportation is
provided by the provider to job interviews, employment, housing searches, and
counseling appointments.
(B) The
site is located within 1,000 feet of premises where children commonly gather,
including a school, day care facility, playground, public or private youth
center, public swimming pool, or video arcade facility.
(C) The site is properly maintained and
clean.
(D) The provider rules are
consistent with parole rules and conditions of supervision.
(3) The TDCJ shall maintain a list
of all providers and sites that have been approved for temporary
housing.
(d) Offender
Selection and Placement.
(1) The TDCJ shall
not discriminate against any offender because of race, color, religion, gender,
national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
(2) An offender released on parole or
mandatory supervision on or after January 1, 2010, with insufficient financial
and residential resources, shall be considered for temporary housing
assistance.
(3) An offender
released on parole or mandatory supervision on or after January 1, 2010, who is
residing in a community residential facility or transitional treatment center
and who demonstrates progress toward self-sufficiency, may also be considered
for temporary housing assistance if it appears they will become capable of
meeting their own financial needs. The TDCJ shall consider whether the offender
has:
(A) A savings or trust fund account
balance;
(B) Current or prospective
employment;
(C) An employment
history;
(D) Vocational skills;
and
(E) A level of educational
achievement above the sixth grade.
(4) An offender shall only receive temporary
housing assistance at sites in the county in which the offender resided at the
time of committing the offense for which the offender was sentenced to the TDCJ
or in the county of conviction if not a resident of the state at the time of
conviction.
Notes
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