**PULLED – This item will not be considered on November 6th

ORDINANCE authorizing an amendment to Ordinance No. 2019-265 passed and adopted by City Council on April 10, 2019 for residential rehabilitation or reconstruction services and/or reimbursement in connection with Hurricane Harvey Homeowner Assistance Program (the “HoAP Program”) to eliminate the 5-year recorded lien requirement for individual homeowner assistance between $20,001.00 to $80,000.00 and to institute a 3-year unsecured compliance period evidenced by an unsecured forgivable promissory note and enforced through a forgivable loan agreement and approving the forms of forgivable loan agreement and the forms of the respective promissory note attached thereto to be executed by the City of Houston, Texas, and each eligible program participant who participates in the HoAP Program

The Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) recommends an ordinance to approve changes to the lien requirements on assistance through the Homeowner Assistance Program (HoAP).  HCDD has received approval from the General Land Office (GLO) for changes to the lien requirements on assistance through the Homeowner Assistance Program (HoAP).  For assistance up to $80,000.00, no lien will be placed on the property.

This lien modification is designed to ensure Houstonians receive the assistance needed to recover from Harvey, without concerns about potential financial burden placed on their property.

Assistance will be provided in the form of a grant, a zero-interest unsecured forgivable loan, or a zero-interest secured forgivable loan as follows:

·         For assistance that is $20,000.00 or less, it will be considered a Grant Award.

·         For assistance $20,001.00 to $80,000.00, there will be a three (3) year unsecured compliance period.

·         For assistance $80,001.00 and up, there will be a 20-year compliance period secured by a lien.

Fiscal Note:

No Fiscal Note is required on grant items. 

This item was reviewed by the Housing and Community Affairs Committee on October 15, 2019.

____________________________________________

Tom McCasland, Director

6-27-2018 (O) 2018-518

1-2-2019 (O) 2019-10

Roxanne Lawson

(832) 394-6307