$250 Million of Federal Flood Grants in Limbo
10/23/26 – Harris County could lose a quarter billion dollars of grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. At risk is at least:
- $113 million of CDBG grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR)
- $140.5 million of CDBG grants for Mitigation (CDBG-MIT).
But the total could climb even higher.
Even More MIT Funds in Limbo
More than $140 million in the CDBG-MIT program is at risk. However, the total of all “at risk” grants currently exceeds more than a HALF BILLION dollars. No wonder Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia pulled this discussion from the last Commissioners Court agenda. See Item 93.
Currently, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) shows 11 mitigation projects totaling $397.4 million reaching “substantial completion” AFTER their March 31, 2028 deadline.
However, HCFCD hopes it will get a one-year extension on the MIT deadline. If granted, the extension would give the District time to complete all MIT projects – except for two that total $140.5 million.
So, at a minimum, it appears that HCFCD could lose the $113 million plus $140 million. But in a worst case scenario without the extension, the total could climb to $510 million.
Garcia at Center of Fiasco
The fact that we’re even worried about losing that money can be traced back to Commissioner Adrian Garcia. He defended the slow performance of former HCFCD Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen long after Commissioner Tom Ramsey raised concerns about the CDBG grants. And long after Judge Lina Hidalgo said to Petersen “I just lost my confidence in you.” And long after Commissioner Rodney Ellis warned Petersen of “a day of reckoning.”
Garcia reportedly recommended Petersen for the job and defended her for years, even as Flood Control activity dropped off sharply. See the graph below.
Garcia even defended her after she resigned under pressure by offering a factually incorrect timeline in an attempt to rewrite history and support his protege.
This fiasco is a testament to government mismanagement and inefficiency. The Texas General Land Office, which administers HUD grants in Texas, has said it doesn’t want to see Harris County lose any grant money. But it has also said that grant extensions have not yet been approved officially. The money is in administrative limbo.
Meanwhile…
Are We Adding More Cost than Value?
HCFCD isn’t the only part of Harris County government experiencing problems. Many other departments are, too, including the Engineering Department.
While efficiency decreases, the demand for more money increases. County Commissioners approved a tax increase next year for their General Fund plus increases for Flood Control, Harris Health, and the Toll Road Authority.
Luckily, HCFCD has a new executive director, Marcus Stuckett, who seems to be much more results-oriented than his predecessor. But when Stuckett tried to initiate a discussion about potential funding losses at the last commissioners court meeting, Garcia pulled the discussion from the agenda. That ensured the issue wouldn’t be aired until after the election.
So much for transparency and accountability! But hey! That’s what elections are for.
Posted by Bob Rehak
3342 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
