$45M Fund for Storm-Damaged Homes

Houston City Council approved guidelines on July 8 for a $45 million program to repair or rebuild owner-occupied single-family homes damaged by the May 2024 derecho and Hurricane Beryl. The money comes from a $315 million disaster-recovery award from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to Houston Public Media and the city’s recovery website. The program is aimed at households earning 80% or less of the area median income, with aid capped at $100,000 for repairs and $300,000 for full reconstruction. Housing Director Mike Nichols said applications are expected to open in early August. ### Which storms does the money cover? The new fund is tied to two 2024 disasters that hit Houston within weeks of each other. Harris County’s disaster-recovery page says the Houston derecho struck on May 16, 2024, bringing destructive winds and widespread power outages, and Hurricane Beryl made landfall on July 8, 2024, causing severe flooding across the region. Houston Public Media reported that the city’s housing department described the derecho as the most damaging wind event to affect Houston in nearly 25 years. The same agenda material said Beryl, a Category 1 storm at landfall, brought life-threatening floods and broad damage to homes, infrastructure and businesses. ### Who can qualify for help, and how much can they get? Households earning 80% or less of the area median income can apply under the rules approved Wednesday, according to Houston Public Media. Eligible homeowners can seek up to $100,000 for repairs or up to $300,000 for reconstruction. The city’s disaster-recovery website says the 2024 derecho and Hurricane Beryl programs are being administered by Houston’s Housing and Community Development Department. The site lists contact information and weekly virtual office hours on Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for residents seeking help with housing programs and related resources. ### Why is the fund set at $45 million when the city got more than $300 million? The $45 million program is one piece of a larger federal allocation. Houston Public Media reported that HUD awarded the city $315 million after the 2024 storms, and that the single-family repair and reconstruction program was carved out of that broader package. Tiffany Thomas, who chairs the City Council housing committee, was identified by Houston Public Media as one of the officials and advocates who pushed for more housing money after Mayor John Whitmire’s initial proposal did not dedicate any of the HUD funds to housing. After that pushback, the housing allocation was increased to $100 million, including the single-family program and a separate multifamily initiative, the outlet reported. ### How big is the housing need compared with the program? HUD estimated in 2024 that Houston had $229 million in needed housing repair, reconstruction and property losses from the storms, according to Houston Public Media. The same report said nearly 4,000 households were identified as having serious unmet housing needs. Julian Ramirez, a Houston council member, said before voting for the measure that he believed the city should be “trying to help more families,” according to Houston Public Media. The outlet reported that if the money were used entirely for reconstruction, fewer than 200 households could receive assistance. ### What are residents and advocates watching now? Applications are expected to open in early August, Mike Nichols said, according to Houston Public Media. That makes rollout and access the next test for a program arriving two years after the storms. Houston’s recovery website says residents can track updates through the city’s disaster-recovery portal, which also lists department contacts, complaint and appeals information, and outreach events. The Housing and Community Development Department’s weekly virtual office hours are scheduled every Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and the application launch is expected to be posted there once the program opens.