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Community Development & Revitalization
Intergovernmental and Community Relations
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 The Texas General Land Office disaster recovery team cuts ribbon on The Palms Apartments I and II, a 48-unit multifamily community in Aransas Pass, on Friday, March 25, 2022. The office awarded $2.5 million to rebuild the complex after it was damaged by Hurricane Harvey.
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"Every day at the General Land Office we work to help improve the lives of Texans. The GLO is proud to be setting a record pace in disaster recovery while helping thousands of Texas families rebuild their lives and their homes. The GLO continues to leverage federal dollars efficiently and effectively to help Texas families and communities rebuild and mitigate against future storms."
George P. Bush, Commissioner
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Monday, August 29, 2022
NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS:
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Aug. 31, 2022 is the deadline to apply for the Homeowner Assistance and Reimbursement Programs (HARP)
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Regional Mitigation Program - Council of Governments Method of Distribution (COG MODs) Overview Video
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TX GLO Celebrates Completion of an Affordable Rental Housing complex in Rockport, West Columbia and Kemah
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Cmr. George P. Bush and Texas GLO Celebrate More Than 5,600 Homes Rebuilt
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Texas GLO Launches Multi-Media, Multi-Platform Disaster Preparedness Campaign
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Cmr. George P. Bush Announced Launch of Texas GLO’s Resilient Communities Program
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Sign Up for the CDR Mailing List
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Don't Ignore The Risk. Prepare Your Family. Get Flood Insurance.
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By the Numbers: Hurricane Harvey Recovery Programs
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Disaster Recovery Resources
Aug. 31, 2022 is the deadline to apply for HARP!
Homeowners affected by flooding in RGV & SETX in 2018/2019 must submit applications by the deadline to be considered for eligibility so long as funding is available.
New applicants can also call the toll-free intake center line at 1-866-317-1998. Applications will be considered for award on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the priorities outlined in the Regional Housing Guidelines. Submitting a complete application does not guarantee eligibility nor funding availability.
Potential applicants should review the Homeowner Assistance and Reimbursement Programs Checklist to have all applicable documents ready prior to applying. Interested homeowners should visit recovery.texas.gov/harp to apply online or download a printable version of the application.
Regional Mitigation Program - Council of Governments Method of Distribution (COG MODs)
Overview Video
Please click here to view the full video on the GLO mitigation main page.
Texas General Land Office Celebrates Completion of an Affordable Rental Housing Complex in Rockport
 On Tuesday, August 23, the Texas General Land Office disaster recovery team celebrated the completion of a multifamily housing complex in Rockport built to replenish affordable rental housing damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. The GLO awarded $1.5 million to rehabilitate Linden Oaks, a 28-unit affordable rental complex. Of these, 100% of all units are guaranteed for low- to moderate-income (LMI) residents.
 For more information, please visit https://recovery.texas.gov/hurricane-harvey/programs/affordable-rental-housing/index.html
Texas General Land Office Celebrates Completion of an Affordable Rental Housing Complex in West Columbia
 On Wednesday, August 10, the Texas General Land Office disaster recovery team celebrated the completion of a multifamily housing complex in West Columbia rehabilitated to replenish affordable rental housing damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. The GLO awarded $2,032,021 to rehabilitate Oaks of West Columbia, a 24-unit affordable rental complex. Of these, 100% of all units are guaranteed for low- to moderate-income (LMI) residents.
 For more information, please visit https://recovery.texas.gov/hurricane-harvey/programs/affordable-rental-housing/index.html
Texas General Land Office Celebrates Completion of an Affordable Rental Housing Complex in Kemah
 On Wednesday, August 3, the Texas General Land Office disaster recovery team celebrated the completion of a multifamily housing complex in Kemah built to replenish affordable rental housing damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. The GLO awarded $19.6 million to build Huntington at Kemah, a 148-unit affordable rental complex dedicated for seniors. Of these, 70% of all units are guaranteed for low- to moderate-income (LMI) residents.
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Cmr. George P. Bush and Texas GLO Celebrate More Than 5,600 Homes Rebuilt
Largest home repair and reconstruction mission in Texas history continues to rebuild lives
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush proudly announced the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has completely rebuilt more than 5,600 homes for Texas families through the Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP). This achievement marks an important milestone in a program that is anticipated to rebuild about 8,000 homes using $2 billion in available Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Another 1,300 additional applicants have been approved for construction and nearly 500 homes are currently under construction by the GLO.
"The GLO's disaster recovery team continues to work every day to help Texas families rebuild their homes and their lives from repetitive flooding and destructive storms," said Commissioner George P. Bush. "The GLO is proud to be setting a record pace in the largest home rebuilding mission this state has ever seen – having reached more than 90% completion in getting Texans approved for a program that will help more than 8,000 Texas families get complete home rebuilding assistance."
Hurricane Harvey Reimbursement Program
In early 2021, the GLO successfully concluded the Hurricane Harvey Homeowner Reimbursement Program (HRP) with nearly 3,000 Texans approved for just shy of $86 million in out-of-pocket expenses for eligible repairs to storm damaged primary residences. The GLO directly administered the HRP and HAP for homeowners across 48 counties impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
Hurricane Harvey Affordable Rental Program
The GLO has undertaken a very impressive effort to help renters using $588 million in CDBG-DR funds to help rehabilitate, reconstruct and construct 82 rental housing properties damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in 48 eligible counties outside of the city of Houston and Harris County, which requested and were granted direct allocations of funds from HUD to conduct housing programs. The GLO’s Affordable Rental Program is improving local housing inventory to ensure low income citizens and families have safe, habitable, and affordable places to live. In total, 5,989 rental homes are being rebuilt or newly constructed to replenish affordable workforce housing. Of the affordable housing units being rebuilt by the GLO, nearly 80% are guaranteed to house low-to moderate-income residents for 20 years after completion of new construction and 15 years after completion of repairs.
2018/2019 Programs
In April, the GLO kicked-off of the application process for the Homeowner Assistance and Reimbursement Programs (HARP) and the Affordable Rental Program in all eligible counties affected by flooding events in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley in 2018 and 2019, as well as Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019. The GLO allocated $137.8 million of CDBG-DR funds for repair or reconstruction of owner-occupied single-family homes and reimbursement up to $50,000 for certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred for reconstruction, rehabilitation, or mitigation. Repayment of SBA loans is also eligible for reimbursement. Nearly $40 million in available CDBG-DR was allocated to help rehabilitate and reconstruct affordable rental homes.
Texas GLO Launches Multi-Media, Multi-Platform Disaster Preparedness Campaign
Public awareness campaign urges Texans to purchase flood insurance, don’t ignore the risk
The Texas GLO announced its public outreach initiative to encourage Texans to be prepared and stay prepared for hurricane season, which began Wednesday, June 1 and runs through November 30, 2022. The preparedness campaign includes a video advertisement series titled, “Don’t Ignore Your Risk”, a bilingual multi-media, multi-platform campaign urging Texans to take time now to know their risk, purchase flood insurance, protect their home, safeguard documents, and prepare emergency supplies and an evacuation route.
View Videos
 “It is important to be prepared to have a solid plan in place prior to severe weather,” said Commissioner George P. Bush. “Knowing your risks, having an evacuation plan, gathering supplies, securing documents, and protecting your property with flood, wind, and fire insurance are key steps to being prepared for storms or wildfires. For more disaster preparedness tips, Texans can follow the GLO on social media and find information for family and pets at recovery.texas.gov/preparedness.”
According to a report by the Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at The Wharton School, homeowners received an average of $8,900 in individual housing assistance from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following Hurricane Harvey, while the average of flood insurance claims was $115,104. According to FEMA, just one inch of flood water can cause more than $25,000 in damage.
The GLO encourages all Texans to prepare for hurricane season by doing the following:
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Know Your Risk- Sign up for your community’s emergency warning system. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.
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Make Your Evacuation Plan- Check with local officials about updated evacuation shelters for this year. Know where your family will meet up if you are separated and where you will stay. Pack a “go bag” including items you need to take with you if you evacuate. A “go bag” should be easy to carry and kept in a place where you can grab it quickly. Check with drivetexas.org to find routes near you. To find a shelter near you, download the FEMA app at fema.gov/mobile-app.
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Gather Supplies- Plan for your entire household including children, people with disabilities or access/functional needs, and pets.
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Secure Documents- Remember to secure copies of important personal documents. Filing for government assistance requires documentation. Be sure to keep documents in a secure location and take them with you if you need to evacuate. Place these documents in a waterproof bag and back them up on cloud storage or a thumb drive.
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Protect Your Property - Shutter your home as needed, review your flood insurance policy (or sign up for one), and declutter drains and gutters. Most homeowner and renter insurance policies do not cover flood damage. A flood insurance policy generally does not take effect until 30 days after purchase, so be sure to maintain your policy. Take a video “tour” of your home to document all items and the home’s current condition.
The campaign will run for the next three months and includes social media, digital display, cable, broadcast and streaming platforms. Inspired by Senate Bill 285, signed into law during the 86th Session of the Legislature, the GLO has remained committed to educating Texans about the benefits of protecting their homes and finances through flood insurance and being prepared for storms and other natural disasters.
For more information, visit recovery.texas.gov/preparedness.
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Cmr. George P. Bush Announced Launch of Texas GLO’s Resilient Communities Program |
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$100 million program to provide up to $300,000 for communities in need of modern and resilient building codes and flood damage prevention ordinances
Commissioner George P. Bush announced the launch of the Texas General Land Office’s (GLO) Resilient Communities Program (RCP), which will fund the development, adoption, and implementation of modern and resilient building codes and flood damage prevention ordinances to ensure that structures built within the community can withstand future hazards.
The GLO allocated up to $100 million in Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the program. Cities, counties, councils of government, and federally recognized Indian Tribes located in a CDBG-MIT eligible areas are eligible to apply for up to $300,000 per applicant. Applicants must have legal authority to adopt and enforce building codes, zoning ordinances, land use plans, and/or comprehensive plans proposed in the RCP application.
Applicants may apply for the development, adoption, and implementation of:
· Codes that meet or exceed the standards set forth in the International Residential Code 2012 (IRC 2012);
· Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance that meets CDBG-MIT requirements of at least 2 feet above base flood elevation.
· Zoning Ordinance based upon a land use plan or comprehensive plan;
· Forward-looking land use plans that integrate hazard mitigation plans;
· Forward-looking Comprehensive Plans that integrate hazard mitigation plans; or
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Additionally, the funds can be used for public service activities focused on education and outreach campaigns designed to alert communities and beneficiaries to opportunities to further mitigate identified risks through insurance, best practices, and other strategies. Funding can also be used to increase community knowledge of the National Flood Insurance Program’s voluntary Community Rating System’s (CRS) incentive program. Public Service activities must meet a HUD national objective.
RCP team members are available to assist potential applicants with understanding how the program can best assist in meeting the needs of the community with regard to mitigation activities, such as modern building code adoption, that increase the resilience and reduce the likelihood of losses of life and property from future disasters. Potential applicants should call the RCP team at 512-770-4900 or email rcp.glo@recovery.texas.gov to ask questions related to the application and program. For additional information, please visit the RCP webpage at recovery.texas.gov/rcp.
Application intake began June 1, 2022, and will be processed for eligibility on a first come, first served basis until June 1, 2028, or until funding is exhausted, whichever is first. Communities are also encouraged to also learn about RCP’s companion program, the Local Hazard Mitigation Plans Program (LHMPP), which is actively accepting applications. Visit LHMPP’s web page at recovery.texas.gov/mitigation/lhmpp.
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Sign Up for the CDR Mailing List
Click here to subscribe to our monthly IGR Newsletter for the latest updates from GLO's CDR division.
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HARVEY RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAMS |
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(EXCLUDING HOUSTON/HARRIS COUNTY) |
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Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP)
$1.334 Billion
SUMMARY: State-administered repair program to rehabilitate or reconstruct homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey.
THIS PROGRAM SERVES: Texas homeowners with remaining Harvey Damage Repair needs.
Homes Completed: 5,185
*Please Note: Numbers as of
August 26, 2022
For more information CLICK HERE
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Homeowner Reimbursement Program (HRP) - COMPLETED
$100 Million
SUMMARY: State-administered reimbursement program for homeowners who used their personal savings or incurred personal debt to repair their homes that were damaged by Hurricane Harvey.
THIS PROGRAM SERVED: Texas homeowners who have conducted repairs to their homes.
Reimbursements Approved:
2,963 applicants for $85,992,270 total
*Please Note: Numbers as of
August 26, 2022
For more information CLICK HERE
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HARVEY RECOVERY COMMUNITY PROJECTS
(EXCLUDING HOUSTON/HARRIS COUNTY)
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Local Infrastructure
$413 Million
SUMMARY: Funds local government projects to repair local infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Can be used to match FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) infrastructure project funds.
THIS PROGRAM SERVES: City and County Governments in federally declared counties with Hurricane Harvey damage to local infrastructure.
*This program is fully contracted.
Contracts Executed: 152
*Please Note: Numbers as of
August 26, 2022
For more information CLICK HERE
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Local Buyouts and Acquisitions
$275 Million
SUMMARY: Funds local government projects applications to buyout or acquire homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Can be used to match FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) buyout project funds.
THIS PROGRAM SERVES: City and County governments in federally declared counties with real property buyout or acquisition needs.
*This program is fully contracted.
Contracts Executed: 193
*Please Note: Numbers as of
August 26, 2022
For more information CLICK HERE
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HARVEY RECOVERY COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROJECTS
(EXCLUDING HOUSTON/HARRIS COUNTY)
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Affordable Multifamily Rental Program
$586 Million
SUMMARY: State-administered program that took applications from rental property owners to rehabilitate, reconstruct or newly construct affordable rental housing lost during Hurricane Harvey.
THIS PROGRAM SERVES: Local rental property owners that own and rent out at least 8 units to replace units lost due to Hurricane Harvey.
Units are currently under construction.
- Number of Multifamily Projects currently under construction = 82
- Number of units to be repaired with 82 Multifamily developments being processed currently = 5,989
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Number of funds that have been allocated to rehab, reconstruct or build the 5,989 new units = $591,203,741
*Please Note: Numbers as of
August 26, 2022
For more information CLICK HERE
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Economic Revitalization Program
$100 Million
SUMMARY: State-administered revitalization program that will provide financing to local small businesses impacted by Hurricane Harvey in deferred forgivable loans for job creation or retention of LMI employees.
THIS PROGRAM SERVES: Local small businesses that experienced economic losses and damage from Hurricane Harvey.
- Number of funds that have been awarded = $55,900,000
- Number of businesses served = 366
- Number of jobs supported = 1,158
*Please Note: Info as of
August 26, 2022
For more information CLICK HERE
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Department of Homeland Security
Disaster Preparedness
Ready.gov
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DISASTER RECOVERY RESOURCES: |
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