HUD Funds for Hurricane Recovery and Economic Relief

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan was in Houston March 6, touring the area to witness firsthand the progress of Hurricane Ike recovery.
 
"While there are signs of progress," Donovan said, "too often what I've seen is a lack of speed; a lack of coordination by the federal government to recover in a way that it should."
 
While visiting the Disaster Housing Assistance Center in Houston, Donovan held a press conference with Houston Mayor Bill White and Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, approving $1.3 billion in Community Development Block Grants to the state of Texas for disaster relief.
 
Of that money, The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) divvied up $814 million across a 13-county area as follows:
 
 
In millions:
$267.3 - City of Galveston
$165.8 - Galveston County
$140.6 - Harris County
$109 - City of Houston
$69.7 – Chambers County
$21.8 – Liberty County
$17.4 – Brazoria County
$11.5 – Montgomery County
$5.9 – Matagorda County
$2.6 – Fort Bend County
$1.5 – Walker County
 
Waller County has been allocated nearly $326,000, Austin County $77,500 and Wharton County $1,200.
 

 
"This funding seeks to produce affordable rental housing, build critical public infrastructure, and support economic revitalization," Donovan said.
 
 
Donovan also discussed funding allocations pertaining to President Barack Obama's Economic Recovery Act.
 
 
As such, Donovan said HUD has allocated more than $10 billion for housing projects across the country. Texas is to receive $517 million. The City of Houston's share will be $43.2 million, and Harris County will receive $10 million.
 
 
"We have experienced, in this region and across the Gulf Coast, a scale of natural disasters that is unprecedented," Donovan said. "But we are also experiencing an economic disaster in so many communities as well."