Houston City Council approves amended disaster recovery plan with $100 million for housing repairs
In a major victory for housing advocates, the city of Houston will spend nearly a third of $315 million in federal recovery funds on home repairs and housing. The move came after two months of pushback on Mayor John Whitmire’s initial plan.
Houston city council delays spending plan for federal recovery funds amid disagreement over home repairs
The original plan allocated no money towards housing. After pushback, that was increased to $50 million — but critics argued it’s still not enough.
Exclusive: Houston Housing Authority considers work requirements, time limits for housing vouchers
About 19,000 households using housing vouchers could face work requirements and time limits if the Houston Housing Authority moves ahead with program changes next year. An advocacy group is already critical of the possible change.
Trump’s housing secretary visits Houston amid protests as mayor touts resiliency and homelessness plans
Scott Turner, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, visited Houston on Tuesday. During the visit, Mayor John Whitmire touted the city’s plan to install backup power generators across dozens of municipal buildings along with his efforts to remove homeless people from public spaces.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire changes course, calls for $50 million in federal disaster aid to go toward housing
Whitmire reversed his initial position that none of the $315 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which awarded the funding in response to last year’s storms, should go toward housing. Community advocates say unmet housing needs require at least $100 million.
Houston housing department to hold public meetings on plan for $315 million in disaster recovery funds
The City of Houston was awarded the federal funding after three disasters in 2024. Its current spending plan allocates no money for the nearly 4,000 homes impacted by the storms.
Houston has $229 million in housing needs after disasters, but plans to spend $315 million on other programs
In an assessment of the city's unmet needs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated $229 million in necessary housing repair, reconstruction and property losses after a series of 2024 storms. The city’s plan for spending federal disaster recovery funds allocates no money toward those categories.
Fort Bend County to repurpose $6.2 million in federal grant funds
The county southwest of Houston held a public hearing Monday to discuss projects funded by its Community Development Block Grants – money that is given to the county through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 2022 and 2023, HUD found that the county’s community development department was not compliant with its timeliness requirements for spending the awarded funds.
Federal investigators were preparing two Texas housing discrimination cases — until Trump took over
The government spent years probing allegations that a Dallas HOA created rules to kick poor Black people out and that Texas discriminated against minority residents in Houston after Hurricane Harvey, only to suddenly reverse course under President Donald Trump.
Tensions emerge between advocates, Houston housing department over $314 million in disaster funding
The Houston Housing and Community Development Department wants to spend federal funding on homelessness and power generators for city facilities. Advocates want those dollars used to increase the city’s stock of affordable housing.
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