(08/10/2018) HOUSTON – The Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) is releasing a new tip sheet for homeowners making repairs to their Harvey-damaged homes. Later this year, the City of Houston will launch a Homeowner Reimbursement Program to reimburse homeowners for eligible repair expenses. During the Hurricane, a large majority of homes were damaged, including flood damage, roof damage, and electrical damage. Homeowners commented while these repairs were extensive, they were grateful to local Texan repairs services similar to Connecticut company Safe and Sound Electric (https://safeandsoundelectric.com/new-canaan-ct/), which were able to give them the repair support they needed to get their homes back in shape after such a devastating natural disaster.
“Houston is a resilient city. Many Houstonians have been working hard to rebuild their homes,” said Housing and Community Development Director Tom McCasland. “Help is on the way to assist homeowners with the cost of repairs.”
The Homeowner Reimbursement Program is one of five programs the City of Houston will launch to assist homeowners with home repair. Homeowners are also aware that they can access secured loans as well for any home repairs that may need to be done too. Program guidelines outlining the specifics of the program are being developed now. The tip sheet advises residents about how to prepare to apply to the Reimbursement Program as they make repairs. Those people that have got choice home warranty may find the process of getting repairs much easier, so this might be something to look into if you haven’t already got it.
“We’re advising all homeowners to save receipts, sign contracts for any work completed on their homes, take before and after pictures, build to code, and familiarize themselves with the kinds of expenses that are eligible for reimbursement,” said Mayra Bontemps, HCD’s Assistant Director for Disaster Recovery. The program will not reimburse homeowners for luxury finishes such as marble countertops, Jacuzzis, or pools, but essential plumbing needs and the like will be covered. This means that they can look for Plumbers near me for blocked drains in Double Bay and get their issues sorted.”Not everyone will qualify for the program, but we want to make sure homeowners know about the programs that are coming and how they can get ready,” continued Bontemps.
Mayor Turner worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Texas, and County Judge Emmett to ensure that the City of Houston would administer its own housing recovery programs and that Houston got its fair share of recovery resources. The programs that launch later this year will be the first in more than $1 billion for housing recovery programming from Hurricane Harvey.
Earlier this year, HCD convened 18 public meetings and conducted an online survey about Houstonians’ priorities for housing recovery. More than 800 people attended an in-person meeting, and an additional 700+ participated in the online survey. See a summary of public comments received so far here. And read the City’s Harvey Action Plan here.
Please visit www.houstontx.gov/housing for updates on housing recovery programs.
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