HUD Approves City’s Disaster Relief Plan

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the City of San Marcos CDBG Disaster Recovery Action Plan, which has gone through rounds of public comment and detailed review from the federal government.

The CDBG Disaster Recovery Action Plan is available online at www.smtxfloodrecovery.com/actionplan.

The plan will guide officials in the allocation of a $25.08 million federal disaster recovery grant and allocates the funds among four categories:

• Housing: $7,524,000
• Infrastructure: $12,540,000
• Planning: $3,762,000
• Administration: $1,254,000

“Citizen input and comment were vital parts of this process,” said City Manager Jared Miller. “The information we gathered from the public, as well as comments from HUD, will guide the City as it designs flood recovery programs and projects.”

The City Council reviewed public comments and made recommendations at the Sept. 6 City Council meeting. The Action Plan was submitted to HUD Sept. 8 for review.

City staff and consultants received input from HUD in October and updated the plan according to the department’s recommendations. The City Council approved the updates Nov. 1.

HUD is now formulating a grant agreement that, once executed, will make funds available for up to six years for projects and programs outlined in the Action Plan.

The City is now seeking proposals for a feasibility study of potential infrastructure projects that would make the community more flood resilient. The City is also working to create new housing programs that may include reconstruction, rehabilitation, elevation, and buyouts in flood-affected areas.