Texas has launched two programs totaling over $287 million to help homeowners rebuild and repair homes impacted by natural disasters in 2024.
The relief comes as thousands of Texas families continue recovering from last year’s devastating weather events that damaged or destroyed homes across 92 counties.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham unveiled the Homeowner Assistance Program, backed by $244.1 million for repairs and reconstruction of owner-occupied single-family homes. A separate $43.1 million Homeowner Reimbursement Program will repay residents for out-of-pocket repairs ranging from $3,000 to $75,000. Homeowners must choose between the two programs and cannot apply for both.
The programs will help Texans who sustained damage to their primary residence due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and/or flooding that occurred between April 26 and June 5, 2024, or those impacted by Hurricane Beryl between July 5 and July 9, 2024.
“The Texas General Land Office’s housing programs have helped more than 12,000 Texas families rebuild their homes – and their lives,” Buckingham said. “While many communities are familiar with the GLO’s housing efforts, many are new to the programs.”
Applications opened Tuesday for residents in eligible counties stretching from North Texas to the Gulf Coast. Only homeowners in 27 counties designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as Most Impacted and Distressed (MID) are eligible to apply.
The 27 MID counties are: Anderson, Bell, Brazoria, Caldwell, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Fort Bend, Galveston, Guadalupe, Hardin, Hays, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Kaufman, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Smith, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, and Wharton.
The federal funding stems from $555.7 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery money allocated by HUD.
Harris County and the City of Houston, located in the Upper Gulf Coast area hardest hit by Hurricane Beryl, received $67.3 million and $314.6 million, respectively, to administer to residents separately from the two programs announced by the GLO.
Interested homeowners can apply at recovery.texas.gov/apply or call 1-844-893-8937 for assistance. Applicants should review the document checklists for the programs and gather all required documents before starting the process. The programs operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and all applications are processed in the order in which they are received.
The GLO encouraged homeowners in Central Texas who sustained damage to their property during the heavy rain and flash flood event last weekend to report it to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Damage assessments based on these reports will help determine the state’s eligibility for additional federal disaster assistance.