HOUSING RESOURCE CENTER.

(a) The board shall establish a housing resource center in the housing finance division.

(b) The department, through the center, shall:

(1) provide educational material prepared in plain language to housing advocates, housing sponsors, borrowers, and tenants;

(2) provide technical assistance to nonprofit housing sponsors;

(3) assist in the development of housing policy, including the annual state low income housing plan and report and the consolidated plan; and

(4) provide, in cooperation with the state energy conservation office, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and other governmental entities, information on the use of sustainable and energy efficient housing construction products and assist local governments and nonprofits in identifying information on sustainable and energy efficient housing construction and energy efficient resources and techniques.

(c) The housing resource center is intended to assist individuals, local organizations, and local governments in providing for the housing needs of individuals and families in their communities by providing information available to the center to housing contractors, nonprofit housing sponsors, community-based organizations, and local governments on:

(1) local housing needs;

(2) housing programs;

(3) available funding sources; and

(4) programs that affect the creation, improvement, or preservation of housing affordable to individuals and families of low and very low income.

(d) The center shall serve as a housing and community services clearinghouse to provide information to the public, local communities, housing providers, and other interested parties regarding:

(1) the performance of each department program;

(2) the number of people served;

(3) the income of people served;

(4) the funding amounts distributed;

(5) allocation decisions;

(6) regional impact of department programs; and

(7) any other relevant information.

(e) The center shall compile the department's reports into an integrated format and shall compile and maintain a list of all affordable housing resources in the state, organized by community.

(f) The information required under Subsections (d) and (e) must be readily available in:

(1) a hard-copy format; and

(2) a user-friendly format on the department's website.

(g) The center shall provide information regarding the department's housing and community affairs programs to the Texas Information and Referral Network for inclusion in the statewide information and referral network as required by Section 526.0004.