Hidden Harvey damage is still leaving its mark
Hurricane Harvey may be a fading memory for some, but many Houstonians will be dealing with its aftermath to a long time to come.
Anna Babin, CEO and president of the United Way of Greater Houston, discussed her nonprofit organization’s ongoing efforts to help Houston and the surrounding area recover from Hurricane Harvey.
Q: You’ve said, “The water is gone, but the damage is still there on the insides of houses.” What are the most serious kinds of persisting damage? A: It varies from person to person and household to household. Certainly, the loss of and damage to homes is unprecedented; 893,925 Federal Emergency Management Agency registrations for aid have been filed in Texas and, of those, 59 percent are in the four-county area that United Way of Greater Houston serves — Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery and Waller counties. About 39,000 homes in Harris County alone were significantly damaged and, considering that the maximum FEMA grant is $33,300 per household, experience tells us there are likely thousands of families who won’t have enough resources to cover all necessary repairs. In addition, 18,000 hotel rooms in greater Houston are still providing temporary housing for 47,000 Harvey-impacted residents. These are people who have been displaced from flood-damaged, uninhabitable homes or apartments. Before Harvey, Houston had an affordable housing shortage, and the storm has made the issue even more acute.
The local United Way leader talks about the nonprofit’s efforts to help the Houston area recover
Along with housing, other serious damage includes loss of vehicles and loss of wages. Over 500,000 vehicles were lost in Harris County alone. When a wage earner loses transportation or access to a job because the business is closed, the financial setback can be devastating.
Q: How does the United Way of Greater Houston operate in this environment?
A: We form long-term recovery committees, often partnering with a county’s Office of Emergency Management and bringing together representatives from nonprofit agencies, faith communities, business and civic leaders, FEMA, and various city and county agencies. These committees coordinate response efforts, sharing information and resources, identifying challenges and planning solutions.
Together we are addressing an avalanche of long-term, varied recovery needs in many different ways. Our 24/7 2-1-1 Texas/ United Way HELPLINE answers disaster-related calls from throughout the area and connects those in need with available resources. United Way has invested $11.1 million to date from our flood relief fund in community recovery initiatives, including $2.38 million in basic needs assistance — food, utilities, and emergency rent and mortgage assistance.
Q: What are the most pressing needs?
A: Basic needs such as food and rental assistance remain pressing needs. Other top needs include assistance with FEMA registration, or FEMA reapplication after initial denial, as well as disaster unemployment assistance. Now that the FEMA registration deadline has expired, we are looking for alternative resources to help those in need.
Affordable housing for Harvey-displaced families is another pressing need. The community is working together to respond, but with so many affordable apartments and homes devastated by flooding, the challenge remains significant. We also see an increased community need for services like United Way THRIVE to help families with disrupted employment acquire new skills, and financial stability. The flood insurance program is $20 billion in debt now and will likely require more cash next year from taxpayers, who already have bailed out the program 16 times in 25 years, totaling $42 billion in loans and grants.
Q: Is this an especially difficult period for your group?
A: It’s a difficult time for everyone working in long-term disaster recovery because the needs are so great. Before the storm, there were already many vulnerable people in the greater Houston area needing services — hot meals for seniors, quality early learning centers for preschoolers, job training for the un- or underemployed and countless other examples. Those needs still exist; those folks are still counting on United Way, and those services are continuing. In fact, United Way is now in the midst of our annual fundraising campaign to maintain the help that touches nearly 2 million people annually. At the same time, our staff and many dedicated volunteers are focused on the long-term disaster recovery work needed to help an unprecedented number of people.
Q: What are some of your success stories?
A: One of the biggest success stories is the outpouring of support for the recovery effort from throughout Greater Houston, the nation and the world. Our community and people from all over have stepped up to help. We’ve received major gifts from foundations and corporations, small change collections from scout troops, support from professional sports teams and celebrity charity broadcasts, profits from lemonade stands, donations from schools, pooled tips from restaurant staff, and so many other generous gifts totaling $45 million in support of the United Way Relief Fund.
Our partners — the agencies working alongside us every day — help stretch resources and collaborate on creative solutions. We’ve had a record number of volunteers step up to help. For the first time ever, we asked volunteers to provide assistance to callers on our 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE. Many volunteers help sort, organize and prepare hurricane donations for distribution at our warehouse. Other United Ways from all over the country have also offered us support, resources and encouragement.
Q: What’s Houston’s prognosis?
A: The long-term recovery process always takes much longer than anticipated and can be very frustrating for those trying to navigate it. This is partly because of the sheer complexity of the needs and the many organizations working to coordinate resources. But Houston is filled with everyday heroes who together create its well-earned reputation for generosity and caring. If history holds true, we know that support will continue – and we’ll need it because the long-term recovery process will take three to five years.
Our goal is to give families the help they need to achieve a “new normal.” While we likely cannot restore life back to where it was before, we can help families return to a sense of stability and normalcy.