Texas General Land Office releases plan for $5 billion in disaster relief
Eight months after Hurricane Harvey, the Texas General Land Office has released its plan to distribute $5 billion in federal block grants for disaster relief.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the grant in November, but according to General Land Office spokeswoman Brittany Eck, agency officials had been working on the action plan since Harvey made landfall and submitted it to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in March after talks with Harris County and the city of Houston.
“The impact of Hurricane Harvey continues to disrupt the lives of so many Texans,” Land Commissioner George P. Bush said in a written statement. “As we continue the long-term recovery process, the GLO’s Community Development and Revitalization team continues to work with local officials in all 49 affected counties to expedite the release of disaster recovery funds.”
HUD required 80 percent of the money to be allocated to 11 of the most distressed areas, including Harris, Galveston and Aransas counties. Houston is the only city to be awarded a portion of the money: just over $1 billion, which the city can spend on recovery programs with General Land Office oversight.
The disaster aid has been a big point of contention between Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. For months, the two publicly sparred over whether Houston was being included in drafting the action plan.
The plan allocates the $5 billion to eight different programs that the General Land Office will administer and oversee. The largest allocation of $1.4 billion will go to the Single Family Homeowner Assistance program, which aims to help homeowners with rehabilitation and reconstruction after Harvey. The other programs are:
Buyouts and Acquisitions ($275 million): Eligible homeowners may sell their home to a local government at a pre-storm or post-storm fair market value.
Homeowner Reimbursement ($100 million): Homeowners may be reimbursed for certain out-ofpocket expenses incurred for home repairs, including reconstruction, rehabilitation or mitigation up to $50,000.
Homelessness Prevention ($50 million): Provides assistance such as short-term mortgage, utility payment and tenant-based rental assistance.
Affordable Rental ($250 million): Provides funding for rehabilitation, reconstruction and new construction of affordable multi-family housing projects.
Local Infrastructure ($413 million): Pays for infrastructure repairs and enhancements for local communities as part of a comprehensive long-term recovery program.
Economic Revitalization ($100 million): Offers interim assistance to small businesses through loans in exchange for job creation or retention.
Local, Regional and State Planning ($137 million): The General Land Office will conduct planning studies on disaster mitigation in the impacted areas to promote sound long-term recovery.