Action supports $5 Billion in disaster recovery already approved by HUD
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced HUD is approving an additional $652 million to support Texas in its recovery from Hurricane Harvey. The recovery plan HUD is approving today will further assist the state’s $5 billion HUD-funded recovery programs the Department approved last June.
Secretary Carson and Texas Governor Greg Abbott made the announcement following a meeting today in Washington. Texas submitted the latest recovery plan for HUD’s review which primarily focuses on the restoration of damaged and destroyed homes, businesses and infrastructure. Read Texas’ recovery plan.
Texas’ long-term recovery is supported through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program which requires grantees to develop thoughtful recovery plans informed by local residents. Learn more about CDBG-DR and the State’s role in long-term disaster recovery (en español).
“Today, we’re taking another important step along the path to recovery for hard-hit areas in East Texas,” said Secretary Carson. “HUD is committed to working alongside Texans to rebuild their homes, restore their businesses and repair their critical infrastructure.”
Governor Abbott said, “I am grateful to Secretary Carson for his tremendous partnership throughout the recovery and ongoing rebuilding process and for his leadership from the very beginning. With these funds, Texas will do more than rebuild. We will rebuild our communities stronger and more resilient than before.”
Background
Shortly after Hurricane Harvey in 2017, HUD quickly provided the State of Texas $57.8 million to begin long-term recovery in hard-hit areas. In 2018, HUD followed this initial investment with another $5 billion in CDBG-DR funding to the Lone Star State. Informed by
local citizens, Texas developed recovery plans for these allocations which HUD approved last year (read more).
Today’s action approves the State’s third allocation of $652,175,000. Combined, HUD is investing more than $5.7 billion to address the remaining needs of Texans following Hurricane Harvey.
CDBG-DR grants support a variety of disaster recovery activities including housing redevelopment and rebuilding, business assistance, economic revitalization, and infrastructure repair. Grantees are required to spend the majority of these recovery funds in the “most impacted” areas as identified by HUD, including the City of Houston, Harris County and other hard-hit areas throughout East Texas.