AUSTIN — Today Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson signed a grant agreement officially authorizing the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to begin spending $5.024 billion in Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to help Texas recover from Hurricane Harvey.

"Disaster recovery requires long-term commitment to helping communities rebuild," said Commissioner Bush. "I appreciate Secretary Carson's engagement with us throughout this long-term housing recovery funding process. Today's signing of the grant agreement is the final step in enabling the GLO to move forward with our detailed plans for helping communities across the Texas coast recover from Hurricane Harvey. We remain committed to getting this funding out to communities as quickly as possible in order to bring folks home."

The State Action Plan for the allocation of housing assistance funds was approved June 25, 2018. The grant agreement is the final step required before the GLO can access the funds for reimbursement for programs outlined in the State Action Plan.

The GLO has already committed more than $82 million of the $250 million set aside for the Multi-Family Affordable Rental Property Repair Program. To date the GLO has conditionally awarded 21 affordable rental rehabilitation projects in Rockport, Port Arthur, Orange, Victoria, Beaumont, Sweeny, New Waverly and Bay City, with more to come. Currently obligated projects will repair more than 1,200 rental homes for families across the affected region. The application process is ongoing and will continue until the funding is fully obligated.

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