Cmr. George P. Bush encouraging Texas communities affected by 2015 floods to apply for additional disaster funds

AUSTIN - Today Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush is encouraging communities affected by the 2015 flooding events to submit applications for Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to pay for long-term housing and infrastructure recovery projects. These newly available funds will be administered by the Texas General Land Office's Community Development & Revitalization program (GLO-CDR) to help disaster impacted communities rebuild homes and infrastructure. It will also allow communities to implement mitigation efforts to better prepare for future disasters. Affected counties are home to nearly 21 million people - a total population greater than the populations of 48 states.   "Flood events in Texas over the past two years resulted in disastrous conditions in counties that 76 percent of the state population call home," said Commissioner Bush. "I would like to recognize the efforts of the Texas Congressional Delegation to increase the funds received to help mitigate the estimated $2 billion in recovery needs. The GLO's CDR team is available to help communities submit project applications and will work to maximize the use of this disaster recovery funding."   The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Texas $59.6 million in disaster recovery funds for 2015. Of the 116 Texas counties impacted by the 2015 floods, four were identified by HUD as "Most Impacted" and received separate funding allocations. Eligible entities in the other 112 counties can now submit applications for $25.6 million in recovery funding. Eligible entities include cities, counties, and local housing authorities in the impacted areas. The awarding of the funds will be based on scoring and ranking of submitted project applications. Entities may submit a maximum of three applications, only two of the three may be for infrastructure projects. GLO-CDR will accept project applications for 120 days following the announced release date of July 13, 2017, and will work with impacted counties to maximize the number of long-term recovery projects that can be completed given the limited funding.                                                                   For more information regarding eligibility and application process, please visit TexasRebuilds.org.   About GLO Community Development & Revitalization The CDR program of the Texas General Land Office administers the Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) on behalf of the state of Texas. Funds of approximately $4 billion have been allocated for recovery following Hurricanes Rita, Dolly, and Ike, the 2011 wildfires, and the 2015 and 2016 floods. These grants can be used for a wide variety of activities including housing redevelopment, business assistance, and infrastructure repair. CDR will keep impacted communities informed on developments.   ###