Author Topic: Vulnerable Houstonians will be first in line for Harvey recovery money, city says  (Read 585 times)

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Online Elderberry

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Houston Chronicle 1/9/2019 by Robert Downen

Houston housing officials say low-income and flood-prone residents will be the first priority of various housing assistance programs approved Wednesday.

Tom McCasland, director of the city’s Housing and Community Development, said he hopes targeting such communities will ease some of the frustration that has set in after more than a year of waiting for the arrival of federal Hurricane Harvey-related funds.

“The more vulnerable the population, the higher the priority they will need to be,” McCasland told City Council on Wednesday.

McCasland’s comments came moments before City Council approved guidelines for programs funded by $1.17 billion in federal dollars the city will receive from the Texas General Land Office after approving its contract with the state agency last week.

Earmarked in that funding is more than $392 million for a homeowner assistance program that would reimburse eligible applicants for some completed home repairs. Other applicants could have contracted construction firms rebuild, repair or redesign their homes. They could also swap “substantially damaged” homes for new ones built to withstand future flooding.

More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Vulnerable-Houstonians-will-be-first-in-line-for-13520476.php