Feds Approve $5B Harvey Recovery Plan
June 26--The federal government approved a $5 billion recovery plan to repair housing in Texas that remains damaged or destroyed 10 months after Hurricane Harvey made landfall.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gave Texas the go-ahead for the plan Monday, permitting the state's General Land Office to begin administering grant programs to repair the housing stock, according to a news release from the General Land office issued Monday.
The State Action Plan, which calls for $5.024 billion in total to restore Harvey-damaged homes and communities, would split the pot of money into two main groups: $2.3 billion would be earmarked for Houston and surrounding Harris County, with the remaining $2.7 billion reserved for areas outside Harris County.
The plan will disperse the money to eight programs, with the largest chunk of funding -- $1.048 billion -- going to help homeowners reconstruct and repair their homes. All eight programs fund different aspects of housing, according to the news release.
For example, one program funds buyouts and acquisitions, allowing some homeowners to sell their homes to a local government and move away from a floodplain zone. The statewide plan also dedicated $250 million to constructing or repairing affordable apartment buildings in impacted areas. Other programs will support local businesses and future planning to protect from future disasters.
Land Commissioner George P. Bush promised recovery funds "would be in the hands of Texas faster than in previous disasters" in a statement Monday.
The grant process, however, remains long and complicated. The city of Victoria won't be able to begin applying for the federal grants until July at the earliest. Assistant City Manager John Kaminksi said last week the city would likely contract with an outside expert for assistance in applying for the funding once it's available.
Correction: The city of Victoria may begin applying for grant money in July at the earliest. An earlier version of this story misstated the application process.
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