Issues Related to the Provision of Housing and Utilities to Employees Page: 1 of 15
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April 7, 1997
The Honorable Mike Moncrief
Texas State Senate
State Capitol
Room 4E.2
Austin, Texas 78711
Dear Senator Moncrief:
Over 3,200 state employees receive free, state-subsidized housing and utilities; live in state-owned properties for
a nominal monthly rate; or receive monthly cash payments in lieu of in-kind housing benefits. Over 1,300 state
employees receive some form of educational assistance from their employing agencies. We question whether
there is a need for state-subsidized employee housing to the extent that it is currently provided. In many cases,
agencies' educational assistance policies are not designed to ensure that agencies receive value, such as more
educated or competent employees, for the funds spent.
Our observations are the result of a review, completed at your request, of supplemental employee benefits.
Additional detail and recommendations are presented below.
Issues Related to the Provision of Housing and Utilities to Employees
Texas state government currently provides certain employees housing benefits in the form
of state-owned housing or cash payments. At the agencies reviewed, over 3,200 employees
receive free housing and utilities, live in state-owned properties for a nominal monthly rate,
or receive monthly cash payments of $175. (See Attachment 1.) Housing benefits were
reviewed at the following four agencies:
* Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)
* Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TDMHMR)
* Texas Youth Commission (TYC)
* Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
The agencies' primary justification for providing these benefits has been the need for
security and emergency response. However, two of the agencies (TDCJ and TDMHMR)
told us that none of their employees were required to live in agency-provided housing as a
condition of employment. Additionally, three of the agencies (TDCJ, TYC, and TDMHMR)
have multiple facilities with no available housing, yet employees perform duties similar to
those of employees receiving housing at other sites. These observations and other
information lead us to question whether there is a need for state-subsidized housing to the
extent that it is currently provided.SAO Report No. 97-049
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Alwin, Lawrence F. Issues Related to the Provision of Housing and Utilities to Employees, report, April 7, 1997; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc821158/m1/1/: accessed June 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.