COMMISSIONER DAWN BUCKINGHAM ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $41 MILLION APPROVED TO RESTORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., announced the Texas General Land Office (GLO) approved more than $41 million in disaster recovery funds to rehabilitate, repair and construct 11 federally eligible affordable rental developments damaged by the 2018 South Texas Floods, the 2019 Lower Rio Grande Valley Flood and Tropical Storm Imelda. In total, 832 rental homes are being rebuilt or newly constructed and more than 86% of all units are guaranteed to house low- to moderate-income renters.
“Consecutive disasters in Southeast Texas and the Rio Grande Valley damaged affordable housing and left renters with few options after the storms,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “Developments like these are vital to rebuild our communities and give our first responders, teachers, and workforce safe, resilient, and beautiful homes, thanks to the hard work of our team at the General Land Office.”
The GLO allocated $41,660,000 of Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the 2018/2019 Disasters Affordable Rental Program (ARP) in Cameron, Chambers, Harris, Hidalgo, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Liberty, Montgomery, Orange, San Jacinto, and Willacy counties. The program provides up to $5 million in reimbursement of eligible hard construction costs for the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and new construction of affordable multifamily housing developments.
 No other state or territory has performed like Texas in the recovery from Hurricane Harvey. Because of the fantastic team at the General Land Office, Texas has distributed nearly $1 billion more disaster recovery dollars to real people and families in need than Florida, Puerto Rico, California, Georgia, Missouri, and the Virgin Islands combined. The General Land Office has proven to be the most efficient distributor of these funds and must continue to lead recovery efforts in our state. The GLO has rebuilt more than 10,000 homes for homeowners and renters in Texas.
Texas GLO 2018/2019 Disasters Affordable Rental Program
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is administering more than $300 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for long-term disaster recovery from significant flooding from the 2018 South Texas Floods, Tropical Storm Imelda, and the 2019 Lower Rio Grande Valley Flood. The GLO allocated $41,660,000 in disaster recovery funds to rehabilitate, reconstruct, and construct multifamily affordable housing units. The GLO began accepting applications May 1, 2021, and applications closed on June 30, 2021. Projects were evaluated and scored via a competitive points-based system and were awarded based on several factors including number of low- to moderate-income units and construction type with a $5 million maximum award. In this program, applicants for the funding are required to designate at least 51% of the units for low- to moderate-income families with rents capped at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Home Investment Partnership (HOME) limits. Per HUD guidelines, a family is considered low- to moderate-income if they earn 80% or less than the Area Median Family Income (AMFI). Each apartment complex will be restricted for low-income housing for 20 years after completion of new construction and 15 years after completion of repairs.
For more information, please visit https://recovery.texas.gov/2018-floods-2019-disasters/programs/2018-2019-affordable-rental/index.html.
CMR. DAWN BUCKINGHAM ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $43 MILLION COMBINED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN COUNTIES IMPACTED BY 2019 DISASTERS
Funds to improve street, water and drainage facilities approved in Cameron, Chambers, Harris, Hidalgo, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Orange, San Jacinto, and Willacy Counties
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., announced the Texas General Land Office (GLO) awarded $43,144,626 in disaster recovery funds for 44 federally eligible infrastructure projects to help communities recover from the 2019 South Texas Floods as well as Tropical Storm Imelda. The funds will be used to improve streets as well as water and drainage facilities in Cameron, Chambers, Hidalgo, and Orange Counties, as well as the cities of Beaumont, China, Combes, Daisetta, La Feria, La Villa, Laguna Vista, Liberty, Mercedes, Mission, Nome, Old River-Winfree, Orange, Palmview, Pasadena, Pine Forest, Pinehurst, Plum Grove, Port Arthur, Port Isabel, Primera, Rio Hondo, Santa Rosa, Splendora, Vidor, West Orange, and Woodloch.
“Consecutive disasters have devastated communities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Southeast Texas, but the Texas General Land Office is here to help,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “These critical infrastructure awards will divert floodwaters away from homes, increase the resiliency of communities to respond to natural disasters, and restore peace of mind when the next storm hits.”
Texas GLO 2019 Disasters Recovery Funds:
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is administering $227,510,000 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for long-term disaster recovery from 2019 flooding in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Tropical Storm Imelda in Southeast Texas. The GLO allocated $61,430,000 million in disaster recovery funds for infrastructure projects to provide disaster relief, long-term recovery, and restoration of infrastructure for local communities. The GLO announced the opening of the application for eligible counties and cities on March 15, 2022, and applications closed on August 1, 2022. Each applicant was eligible to submit a total of two applications. All activities had to contribute to the long-term recovery and restoration of infrastructure. The GLO recognizes that as part of a comprehensive long-term recovery program, the repair and enhancements of local infrastructure are crucial components. Infrastructure activities are vital not only for the long-term recovery and restoration of housing but for the long-term recovery and viability of communities.
To learn more, visit https://recovery.texas.gov/2018-floods-2019-disasters/programs/2019-disasters-infrastructure-competition/index.html.
  
TEXAS GLO CELEBRATES NATIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WEEK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HUD AND COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY DISASTERS
Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., announced the Texas General Land Office (GLO) will celebrate National Community Development Week April 10-14, 2023, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to highlight improvements made in communities using Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery and Mitigation.
“We often like to say that we are the agency that rolls up our sleeves and gets to work for the people of Texas, and when it comes to disaster recovery, the GLO is the place to go,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “My goal is simple - that we serve the people we are supposed to serve and do it well. We are proud to be working together with local leaders to ensure that federal funds are used to benefit those who need them most.”
The GLO is setting a record pace administering both Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds from HUD on behalf of the state of Texas. More than $14 billion have been allocated for recovery and mitigation following Hurricanes Rita, Dolly, and Ike, the 2011 wildfires, the 2015 and 2016 floods, Hurricane Harvey, the 2018 South Texas floods, and the 2019 disasters. These grants can be used for a wide variety of activities including housing repairs, infrastructure repair and long-term planning, depending on HUD guidance.
 Because of the fantastic team at the Texas General Land Office, since Hurricane Harvey alone, the GLO has rebuilt more than 10,000 homes for homeowners and renters in Texas combined, with nearly 7,000 of those being individual homes. The GLO also helped nearly 3,000 Texas families with reimbursement for $86 million in out-of-pocket repair expenses.
Each day of National Community Development Week, the GLO will share stories of individual and community disaster recovery on social media. Commissioner Buckingham encourages Texans and their communities to follow along on the GLO’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using #CDBGWorks.
  
DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THE HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE AND REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAMS (HARP) IS APRIL 28, 2023
Processing will continue, but time is running out to submit draft applications to the GLO for eligibility consideration and assistance with missing documentation
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) announced the application for the Homeowner Assistance and Reimbursement Programs (HARP) will close at 5 p.m. on April 28, 2023. Applications will continue to be reviewed in all eligible counties affected by flooding events in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley in 2018 and 2019. All potential applicants must submit applications by the deadline to be considered for eligibility so long as funding is available.
HARP eligible counties accepting applications through April 28, 2023:
HARP applicant coordinators are available to help applicants complete their applications. Applications can be submitted even if some documentation is missing as HARP applicant coordinators continue to help applicants who are missing documents. All documents are necessary to meet federal disaster assistance requirements for eligibility.
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