GLO, HUD Funding Approved for 7 HCFCD Projects So Far

11/20/2024 – The Texas General Land Office (GLO) confirmed funding approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for seven Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) projects.

In June of last year, HCFCD submitted two projects lists to GLO for $825 million in HUD Community Development Block Grant disaster relief (CDBG-DR) funding and flood mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funding.

Since then, HCFCD has worked with GLO to finalize the HUD applications. HCFCD presented an update to Commissioner’s Court in early October, 2024. Today, GLO provided an update to the update.

CDBG-DR Projects

According to an email from GLO spokesperson Brittany Eck received today, seven DR projects have received funding approvals to date. They include:

• Arbor Oaks
• Brookglen Stormwater Detention Basin (SWDB) Phase 2
• East TC Jester SWDB
• Isom SWDB
• Jackson Bayou SWDB
• Kluge SWDB
• Lauder SWDB Ph II Compartment 2

Eck also said that five more CDBG-DR projects are under final quality-control review. “We are making sure the project submissions are complete and meet all federal eligibility requirements so that there are not issues or concerns down the road.”

Disaster Relief projects have the tightest deadlines. So, all parties focused on those first.

CDBG-MIT Funding Still Under Review

“Seventeen CDBG-mitigation projects are still in various stages of preliminary review,” said Eck.

“We are working back and forth on requests for more information required by HUD on many of the projects,” said Eck. “We continue to work very closely with the HCFCD team to make sure they have all available resources needed to complete the applications. Overall our team is very pleased with the progress being made and the relationship continues to be strong.”

Only two mitigation projects have not yet been submitted for preliminary review.

• Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve Channel Rehabilitation (100-00-00-X115)
• Channel Conveyance Improvements (C147-00-00-E002) in the Sims Bayou Watershed.

Tremendous Progress

“HCFCD has made tremendous progress on these funds,” said Eck. “However, the rate of approval may not yet demonstrate the progress being made behind the scenes.”

She added, “This process, especially considering the amount funds being administered is an extremely lengthy federal process. Additionally HCFCD has needed to combine projects due to functionality and the GLO is working closely with them to ensure eligibility in the most efficient timeframe imaginable.”

Kingwood Projects Not Mentioned in This Update

Eck did not comment on the status of two Kingwood projects. I can only assume they are still under review. She did not mention any that had been eliminated.

The two Kingwood projects:

• Taylor Gully improvements
• Two additional stormwater detention basins upstream from Taylor Gully on Woodridge Village property acquired by HCFCD and the City of Houston.

In its October update to Commissioners Court, HCFCD said the Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basins were originally below the funding line for CDBG-DR.

“The original engineering analysis indicated that only Woodridge Basin Compartment 1 was needed for the Taylor Gully mitigation,” said the update. “As the analysis has progressed it indicates that Compartment 2 (or a portion of it) may also be needed. Due to other projects potentially reducing in budget from the initial estimates, there may be funding available to include the Woodridge basin in the Taylor Gully project.”

That word “may” in the last sentence worries me.

HCFCD did not propose the Kingwood Diversion Ditch project for HUD consideration. HCFCD called the diversion ditch one of the two most important projects in Kingwood. That funding will have to come from somewhere else.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/20/24

2640 Days since Hurricane Harvey