The Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) is requesting Council approval of an ordinance authorizing submission of an application to the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and approval for receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grants – Disaster Recovery funds for the 2016 Flood Events (CDBG-DR16). The application includes $23,486,698.00 in funds for a Housing Buyout Program to address impacts from the 2016 Flood Events.
In 2016, the Houston area had two devastating flood events resulting in two presidentially declared disasters in the Houston area. The first, FEMA DR-4269-TX, occurred in April 2016 and is known as the “Tax Day Flood”. The second, FEMA DR-4272-TX, occurred over a month-long period from May 22 through June 24, 2016.
Through several appropriations, the U.S. Congress allocated $238,895,000.00 in CDBG-DR to the State of Texas (Public Law 114-223, 114-254 and 115-31) to be used in the recovery process to address impacts caused by the 2016 Flood Events. The GLO is the CDBG-DR administrator of the State's allocation. As directed by the GLO, Harris County submitted a Method of Distribution (MOD) for $66,199,732.00 to the GLO, which included the proposed allocation of $23,486,698.00 for the City of Houston. The Harris County MOD was approved by HUD in May 2018. Houston’s application to the GLO is the next step in the process to receive CDBG-DR16 funding.
The application proposes that CDBG-DR16 funding be used for a Housing Buyout Program. The proposed Housing Buyout Program will fund the purchase of single family and/or multifamily properties, the relocation of residents in the properties, and the demolition of the homes on these properties. This will be a voluntary program and may be carried out by the City of Houston or a subrecipient, such as the Harris County Flood Control District. The proposed activities will remove housing from the floodplain preventing future housing development on the property which will eliminate future housing flood risks. Properties would be returned to green space to help absorb water with the potential of serving as flood control in the future. HCDD will come back to Council for approval of specific projects or target areas for buyout.
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Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery
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Housing Buyout Program
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$23,486,698.00
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100%
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HCDD solicited public input in the development of this Housing Buyout Program Application. As stipulated the Federal Register, Vol. 81, No. 224, Monday, November 21, 2016 and in conformity with the State of Texas Plan for Disaster Recovery, residents have had 14 days to comment on the proposed Application before it is approved by City Council. The 14-day review period extended from August 17, 2018. Also, a public hearing regarding this application was held on August 30, 2018.
No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
This item was reviewed by the Housing and Community Affairs Committee on August 21, 2018.
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Tom McCasland, Director