Today Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush applauded approval by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the second amendment to the Texas General Land Office's (GLO) $5.024 billion state Action Plan for Hurricane Harvey. The amendment details an additional allocation of $652 million to benefit unmet housing recovery needs.
"Hurricane Harvey devastated the homes and disrupted the lives of thousands along the Texas Coast," said Commissioner Bush. "This allocation of $652 million will be used by the GLO to provide additional housing resources for Texas families recovering from Hurricane Harvey. We look forward to working with our partners in communities across the region to leverage these resources efficiently and effectively to benefit Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey."
The amendment detailed how the GLO will use the $652 million to supplement current Hurricane Harvey programs being implemented by the GLO, as well as additional programs in Harris County and the city of Houston. The amendment allocates the following amounts:
- $236 million added to the GLO's Homeowner Assistance Program to repair single family homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey;
- $200 million added to the GLO's Affordable Rental Program for the rehabilitation, reconstruction or new construction of multifamily rental units;
- $89.3 million additional direct allocation for Harris County programs; and
- $89.6 million additional direct allocation for city of Houston programs.
Background and timeline of CDBG-DR funds for Hurricane Harvey recovery
On September 8, President Trump signed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018, and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017, which included $7.4 billion appropriated to HUD for long-term recovery. HUD then allocated $5.024 billion of the appropriations to Texas for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts - the single largest allocation of its kind for any event. To date, the GLO estimates more than $105 billion in unmet need in Texas as a direct result of Hurricane Harvey.
In April, HUD announced additional allocations from the March 23, 2018, Congressional appropriation of nearly $90 billion in total federal disaster relief funds. HUD allocated nearly $5 billion of this allocation to Texas with $652 million of the total to help rebuild damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure, while the nearly $4.3 billion in remaining funds were targeted for mitigation.
On Aug. 14, 2018, HUD released its guidance for the $652 million, allowing the GLO to begin the action plan process for how to use these funds to plus up the existing housing programs.
The GLO is currently awaiting guidance through a Federal Register notice from HUD to begin the planning process for the remaining $4.3 billion. The GLO will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners to ensure funding is available for ongoing recovery efforts.