The Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) requests City Council approval for an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Houston and the Harris County Flood Control District (the District), a special purpose district created by the Texas Legislature in 1937 and governed by Harris County Commissioners Court. The Agreement will allow the District to utilize $10,660,000 in CDBG DR2015 Flood Events funds to perform voluntary property buyouts to eligible property owner applicants.
The funds will be used to purchase structures in the floodplain, demolish and/or remove the structures, relocation of eligible households, and maintain the use of the property as open green space. Areas identified by the corresponding Action Plan “DR2015 Flood Events” are located in three neighborhoods, Braeburn Glen, Glenburnie and Cashiola, and Langwood. This federal voluntary property buyout improvement project will reduce the number of flood prone homes in low- and moderate-income areas and protect the City’s investment in the community.
The project will provide several benefits to the community, including but not limited to: relocating families to higher ground out of harm’s way, eliminating future flood damages and health and safety risks for owners and rescuers, reducing repetitive subsidized flood insurance and federal disaster assistance, restoring floodplains to their natural and beneficial function for stormwater storage, creating open space with the potential for community amenities (i.e. parks, gardens, playing fields, etc.), and eliminating the threat of flooding for targeted homeowners and businesses in the affected areas.
The term of this Agreement shall occur five (5) years from the countersignature date of the City Controller, unless sooner terminated as provided for in the Agreement.
The project is not subject to Eminent Domain.
This item was reviewed by the Housing and Community Affairs Committee on April 18, 2017.
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Tom McCasland, Director