HARRIS COUNTY
A portion of the $2.3 billion set aside by U.S. Congress for disaster recovery in 2018 has made its way to Harris County.
Harris County Commissioners Court accepted more than $909 million in federal funds at a January 29 meeting to help homeowners repair and rebuild homes that were damaged during Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 and to reimburse homeowners who made repairs out of pocket.
The funds were made available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and will be distributed over the coming months, according to a statement released by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
As of January 29, homeowners can apply for consideration for funding online at www.harrisrecovery.org. Funding will be distributed across six housing programs, including a program to assist with home repairs and rebuilds for homes damaged during Harvey and a home buyout program for low-income homeowners.
Daphne Lemelle, the executive director of the Harris County Community Services Department, said a resource department is also on hand to connect homeowners who do not qualify for funding to nonprofits and charitable organizations.