AUSTIN — Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush is pleased to announce that Galveston County, in a partnership with DSW Homes, has successfully completed the construction of 26 single-story new homes in Texas City referred to as The Oaks at Blue Jay Development. Galveston County received a $2.2 million Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) from the Texas General Land Office (GLO)'s Community Development & Revitalization (CDR) program, which was paired with funding from local partners to complete the $4.7 million project. The community ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony will be held in Texas City on Friday, Jan. 27th. 

"The GLO's Community Development and Revitalization team is dedicated to assisting Texans in rebuilding after natural disasters and working with local partners to determine what is best for their communities," said Commissioner Bush. "Following a natural disaster, rebuilding is more than simply replacing a structure, it's about developing a community. The CDR team is committed to engaging with local partners to utilize disaster recovery funds to rebuild communities efficiently and responsibly."

Representatives from the GLO will attend he community ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony in Texas City on Friday. The event will be hosted by the builder, DSW Homes, which will have representatives highlighting the additional steps the company is taking to encourage community wellness, including the community garden created through a local partnership with the SMART Family Literacy program and the local Galveston County 4-H youth. The goal of the community garden is to promote good nutrition and to provide a sense of community for the families. Additionally, the leadership of DSW Homes chose to go beyond the program requirement of having 51 percent of units set aside for low-to-moderate income families. Instead, 100 percent of the units in the Oaks at Blue Jay Development will be reserved for low-to-moderate income families.

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 totaling more than $3.9 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. Additional information on long-term disaster recovery is available at TexasRebuilds.org.

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