Texas GLO Receives $38.6M For Hurricane Harvey Housing Assistance

Mark Havens, the Deputy Land Commissioner, requested $30 million in disaster relief from state leaders on Jan. 12. The funding would cover needs related to the…

Top state officials last week approved the transfer of an additional $38.6 million in state funds to pay for critical housing assistance in Houston and other coastal areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Gov. Greg Abbott said the funds would be transferred from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to the General Land Office (GLO), which is handling housing assistance relief. The Land Office had requested the money.

The action of transferring funds falls under the General Appropriations Act, which anticipates the need to make certain transfers of appropriated dollars when disaster strikes and the Legislature is not in session. According to Abbott, the transfer will not affect the operations of the criminal justice agency, which oversees the state prison and parole systems. 

The Legislature will replenish the budget in its next session in January 2019, and federal funds will reimburse the state. The criminal justice agency is one of Texas’ largest state departments, with a two-year budget of more than $2 billion.

Mark Havens, the Deputy Land Commissioner, requested $30 million in disaster relief from state leaders on Jan. 12.

The funding would cover needs related to the delivery of multi-family lease and repair direct assistance, direct leasing, manufactured housing/recreational vehicle options and direct assistance for limited home repair and the federally required 10 percent state match related to partial repair of a sheltering program.

The remaining $8.6 million will go to pay for the Multi-Family Pilot Housing Project slated to begin in March.

This story originally published by Strategic Partnerships, Inc.