Abbott announces proposed policies to boost housing supply in Texas during Socorro visit

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- During a campaign visit to the El Paso area Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced two new policy proposals about housing affordability for Texas residents.

Republican Gov. Abbott met with builders, community representatives and families in Socorro. He spoke about increasing the housing supply across the state.

He mentioned delays in approvals for new homes can add thousands of dollars in costs for buyers. He announced a policy proposal to allow third party inspections to speed up the process.

He's also proposing a requirement for local authorities to make a decision on if a property can be occupied within 10 days. Cities that don't meet that standard could face a loss in sales tax revenue.

He said he came to the Borderland because similar policies to speed up the permit process are already in place.

"El Paso and Socorro are among the best communities in the state for building permits. They get permits approved faster than so many other large cities across the state of Texas," Gov. Abbott said. "They've already adopted these third party inspectors to ensure that the inspection process will be completed a whole lot faster."

Gov. Abbott faces Democratic nominee Gina Hinojosa in November's election.