The Mayor’s Office of Recovery seek approval of an agreement with and appropriation for Houston Land Bank (HLB) to provide relocation services for the Fifth Ward Voluntary Relocation Program (FWVRP).
On July 13, 2023, Mayor Sylvester Turner created a Strike Team to begin work on a program to help relocate residents living over the creosote plume adjacent to the Union Pacific Railyard. On September 27, 2023, City Council approved funding in the amount of $5 million to assist with the relocation of certain residents who voluntarily seek to relocate away from the plume. The FWVRP seeks to provide a relocation plan for eligible homeowners and tenants who voluntarily wish to participate. The FWVRP includes options to provide acquisition at fair market value and relocation assistance to help find a comparable replacement dwelling. Relocation assistance will include advisory services, replacement housing payments, relocation assistance for tenants, and moving expenses. The primary eligibility requirement is residents must have permanently resided in the Relocation Zone prior to July 1, 2023.
Houston Land Bank was organized on November 1, 1999, with the specific purposes of (1) providing opportunities for low-income families and individuals to secure decent, quality and affordably priced housing, (2) fostering the availability of owner-occupied housing that meets diverse needs, (3) preserving the quality and affordability of housing for future low-income households, and (4) combating community deterioration in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods by making land available for projects and activities and by promoting the development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of decent, quality housing in these neighborhoods while working to prevent the displacement of low-income households from these neighborhoods. HLB will serve as the master builder for the program and residents who voluntarily participate in the program may potentially purchase a home located on a Land Bank lot. These homeowners will have an option apply to HLB for direct assistance from funds provided to HLB by the City pursuant to the FWVRP in conjunction with the purchase of a Land Bank home. HLB will work with Family Service Center of Houston and Harris County (Family Houston) to provide relocation services for the eligible residents in the FWVRP.
Fiscal Note:
No significant Fiscal Operating impact is anticipated as a result of this project.
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Stephen Costello, Chief
Mayor’s Office of Recovery