AUSTIN — AUSTIN — Today Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush proudly announced the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has completely rebuilt more than 5,600 homes for Texas families through the Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP). This achievement marks an important milestone in a program that is anticipated to rebuild about 8,000 homes using $2 billion in available Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Another 1,300 additional applicants have been approved for construction and nearly 500 homes are currently under construction by the GLO.

"The GLO's disaster recovery team continues to work every day to help Texas families rebuild their homes and their lives from repetitive flooding and destructive storms," said Commissioner George P. Bush. "The GLO is proud to be setting a record pace in the largest home rebuilding mission this state has ever seen – having reached more than 90% completion in getting Texans approved for a program that will help more than 8,000 Texas families get complete home rebuilding assistance." 

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Hurricane Harvey Reimbursement Program

In early 2021, the GLO successfully concluded the Hurricane Harvey Homeowner Reimbursement Program (HRP) with nearly 3,000 Texans approved for just shy of $86 million in out-of-pocket expenses for eligible repairs to storm damaged primary residences. The GLO directly administered the HRP and HAP for homeowners across 48 counties impacted by Hurricane Harvey. 

Hurricane Harvey Affordable Rental Program

The GLO has undertaken a very impressive effort to help renters using $588 million in CDBG-DR funds to help rehabilitate, reconstruct and construct 82 rental housing properties damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in 48 eligible counties outside of the city of Houston and Harris County, which requested and were granted direct allocations of funds from HUD to conduct housing programs. The GLO’s Affordable Rental Program is improving local housing inventory to ensure low income citizens and families have safe, habitable, and affordable places to live. In total, 5,989 rental homes are being rebuilt or newly constructed to replenish affordable workforce housing. Of the affordable housing units being rebuilt by the GLO, nearly 80% are guaranteed to house low-to moderate-income residents for 20 years after completion of new construction and 15 years after completion of repairs.

2018/2019 Programs

In April, the GLO kicked-off of the application process for the Homeowner Assistance and Reimbursement Programs (HARP) and the Affordable Rental Program in all eligible counties affected by flooding events in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley in 2018 and 2019, as well as Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019. The GLO allocated $137.8 million of CDBG-DR funds for repair or reconstruction of owner-occupied single-family homes and reimbursement up to $50,000 for certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred for reconstruction, rehabilitation, or mitigation. Repayment of SBA loans is also eligible for reimbursement. Nearly $40 million in available CDBG-DR was allocated to help rehabilitate and reconstruct affordable rental homes.