ORDINANCE approving and authorizing the submission of Grant Application to the TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (TDEM) for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for eight (8) Home Elevations; declaring the City’s eligibility for such Grants; authorizing the Director of the City of Houston Public Works (“Director”) to act as the City’s representative in the Grant application process, to accept such Grant Funds, if awarded, and to apply for and accept all subsequent awards, if any pertaining to the program

RECOMMENDATION

Approve an ordinance for authorization to apply to the Texas Division Emergency Management (TDEM) for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for eight (8) home elevations; declaring the City's eligibility for such grants; authorizing the Director of Houston Public Works or designee to act as a signatory on the grant applications with authority to apply.

SPECIFIC EXPLANATION

The HMGP program provides post-disaster funding for eligible mitigation projects that reduce long-term disaster risks such as flood damage. As the HMGP grant recipient for the state of Texas, TDEM published notices of funding opportunity for the HMGP program related to DR-4798 Hurricane Beryl.

The HMGP Home Elevation Program is part of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which was designed to fund community-level projects, will help homeowners elevate their structures above base flood elevation levels to prevent future flood damage and reduce their reliance on federal disaster assistance. 

Houston Public Works prepared five (5) applications to the DR-4798 HMGP funding opportunity  to elevate eight (8) homes to a height of two feet above the 500-year flood event in accordance with the City of Houston Floodplain Ordinance. One application grouped four (4) homes and four additional applications were prepared for individual homes. See attached list of locations.

The homeowners will be responsible for providing the required 25% local match and any costs overruns that cannot be covered under the grant. The federal funding request includes subrecipient management cost which is 100% federally reimbursable. If the applications are selected for funding, Houston Public Works will bring acceptance of the grant award(s) to City Council for approval.

The table below identifies the requested funding amounts and anticipated local match requirements. 

FISCAL NOTE:

No fiscal note is required on grant items.

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Randall V. Macchi, JD

Director, Houston Public Works

$1,969,572.60 - Federal State Local – Pass Through Fund 5030